How to Make an Infographic That Captivates and Informs Your Audience

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Infographics have become an essential tool for anyone looking to communicate complex information in a visually engaging way. Whether you're a marketer explaining campaign metrics as part of your marketing strategy, a small business owner sharing key benefits of your product or a design student presenting research findings, a well-crafted infographic can transform raw data into a compelling visual story.

But creating an infographic that truly stands out requires more than just adding data to a colorful graphic design. It’s about strategy, creativity and clarity. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make an infographic that informs your audience while looking professional and polished.

New to infographics? Learn more about what is an infographic and how it can elevate your communication.

How to make an infographic in 10 steps

Define your purpose and audience
Research and gather data
Select a design platform
Choose a template or layout
Organize your information visually
Use compelling visuals
Use fonts to create a hierarchy of information
Pick a relevant or branded color scheme
Add clear labels and captions
Download and export in the right format

01. Define your purpose and audience

Before creating an infographic, it’s essential to define its purpose and who it’s for. Are you simplifying a complicated process for a novice audience? Summarizing data for stakeholders in a meeting? Or driving engagement on social media with an attention-grabbing visual? Understanding the types of infographics—such as informational, statistical, timeline or comparison—can help ensure your design aligns with your goals.

Your audience determines the tone, style and complexity of your infographic. For example, if you’re creating an infographic for technical professionals, you can integrate industry-specific jargon and dense data. On the other hand, an infographic targeting the public should favor simplicity and universal symbols.

Clarity in purpose will act as your compass during the design process. Ask yourself, “What do I want my audience to learn, feel or do after seeing this infographic?” From there, build with that outcome in mind.

02. Research and gather data

Great infographics rely on solid content. Start by collecting accurate, reliable data from trustworthy sources. This could include survey results, case studies or industry reports. If your infographic is based on original research, ensure your information is precise and clearly communicated.

Data doesn’t have to be limited to numbers. Quotes, comparisons, timelines or step-by-step instructions can also serve as valuable content. The key is to determine what data format best fits your narrative.

Once you’ve gathered your data organize it into digestible points. Try categorizing similar information together and removing anything that feels redundant. This will ensure a streamlined flow when you start designing.

03. Select a design platform

Having the right tool can make or break your infographic creation process. Platforms like Wixel offer user-friendly features that cater to beginners and advanced designers alike. From drag-and-drop elements to AI-supported tools that take the guesswork out of design, the platform you choose should align with your skill level and creative needs.

Additionally, good design platforms often provide templates, layouts and palettes to kickstart your design. This not only saves time but also ensures your infographic has a professional touch.

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04. Choose a template or layout

Templates provide you with a strong starting point. Depending on your infographic’s purpose, select a layout that highlights your key data. For instance, a timeline works well for historical trends, while a comparison layout can clearly show how two things stack up.

If you prefer a more custom approach, create your layout with your data flow in mind. Organize it to lead the reader’s eye naturally, such as in a top-to-bottom or left-to-right motion. Maintaining consistent spacing and alignment ensures a polished look that doesn’t overwhelm your audience.

05. Organize your information visually

Structure is critical in making your infographic easy to follow. Group similar pieces of information together and use headers to break the content into distinct sections.

Use icons, shapes or lines to emphasize connections between data points and remember to include sufficient white space. Overloading your design with too much information or too many elements can distract from your message. A thoughtful, spaced-out digital design helps viewers process the information quickly.

Discover innovative infographic ideas to effectively communicate your message.

06. Include compelling visuals

Data points can be brought to life with charts, graphs or illustrations that simplify the raw information for your audience. A pie chart, for example, may instantly convey proportions, while an icon can visually represent a statistic.

It’s not just about decoration—every visual element in your infographic should serve a purpose. For instance, using line illustrations to walk users through a step-by-step process can add clarity. Avoid overloading the design with embellishments unrelated to the core message.

07. Use fonts to create a hierarchy of information

Typography is more than just choosing a “nice font”—it’s about guiding your readers through your infographic. A clear hierarchy of text ensures that viewers understand what’s most important at a glance.

Start by setting a distinct font size for headings, subheadings and body text. Titles should command attention, subheadings should support them and body text should remain easy to read.

For a professional appearance, stick to two or three complementary fonts. For example, pair a bold sans-serif for titles with a clean serif font for body text.

Learn more: What is typography.

08. Pick a relevant or branded color scheme

Colors do more than make your infographic look appealing—they evoke emotions and set the mood. Choose a color scheme based on the topic of your infographic. Cool tones like blue and green are great for professional topics, while vibrant red and yellow add energy to lively subjects.

If this infographic represents your brand, incorporate your brand’s color palette to strengthen consistency across media. Tools like the Wixel color palette generator can also suggest pre-set color palettes based on your theme, simplifying the design process.

Explore the basics of color theory to create visually captivating infographics.

09. Add clear labels and captions

For an infographic to be effective, every data point must be immediately understandable. Add concise labels to charts and graphs and pair images with short, descriptive captions.

Remember, your audience shouldn’t need additional explanation to comprehend your infographic. If someone can look at your design and understand the message without further clarification, you’ve succeeded.

10. Download and export in the right format

Once your infographic is complete, ensure you export it in the right file format for its intended purpose. For sharing online, PNG or JPEG files work well and balance quality with file size. For printing, choose high-resolution PDFs to maintain clarity.

Many platforms, like Wixel, also allow you to export content in different aspect ratios tailored to specific platforms, like Instagram or LinkedIn. Optimize your size and format depending on where your infographic will live.

Tips to distribute your infographic

Once your infographic is ready, it’s time to share it with your audience. Here are some effective distribution tips.

Social media platforms: Share it as a post or story on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. For platforms like Twitter, crop your infographic into smaller parts to maintain readability.
Embed in articles or blogs: Enhance your blog posts by weaving your infographic into the content as a powerful visual aid.
Email newsletters: Infographics make for engaging content in email campaigns. Include a short header to lead viewers directly to your design.
Presentations and proposals: Use your infographic to support reports, proposals or team meetings. Strong visuals make data more digestible for stakeholders.

Infographic dimensions

Choosing the right dimensions is crucial to ensure your infographic looks great wherever it’s shared. Use an image resizer to get the perfect fit for any platform.x

Social media: For Instagram posts, go for 1080px x 1350px. Facebook and LinkedIn work well with a 1200px x 627px size. Vertical Pinterest infographics perform best at 1000px x 1500px.

Websites and blogs: Opt for a vertical layout of 800px width and up to 2000px height. This ensures readability when embedded in articles.

Print design: Use the A4 standard (8.3 by 11.7 inches) or larger posters at 18x24 inches to maintain print quality.

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How to make an infographic FAQ

Do I need design experience to create an infographic?

No. You can use tools like Wixel to easily create professional infographics without prior experience.

How to make an infographic that captivates and informs your audience