In recent years, infographics have become a means of mass communication. Designed to reach a wider audience, infographics are a means to simplifying complex subjects and arranging it in an easy to digest format. It is due to its fair simplicity and compelling storytelling that it has gained a lot of fans in recent years. This is exactly why we are now seeing infographics ALWAYS plastered across the internet and social media.
But, what actually is an infographic? A simple way to understand it is to delve into the definition. Infographic is a portmanteau of ‘information’ and ‘graphic’. An information graphic ultimately is a visual representation of information which aims to make the overall data understandable in a visual manner.
Simplicity is key to an infographic, and so it usually includes a minimal amount of text and can be an extremely helpful tool for displaying data which explains concepts, simplifies presentations, maps out relationships, shows trends, and provides essential insights.
What are the types of infographics? Like everything, infographics come in various forms. They are usually categorized based on purpose, objects used and the flow of information. However, not all of them will fall under a specific type/category. In fact, most of them will have elements of numerous types of infographics.
The type of infographic used for a website would depend on the objective of the data visualized. A designer should always choose the type of infographic which helps the reader extract actionable information whilst using the website.
Below is a list of the most widely used types of infographics:
- Informational- This infographic will generally have more text than usual.
- Timeline- A timeline infographic will depict events or actions in a chronological order.
- Charts- This infographic will have a chart as its centrepiece.
- How to- How to infographics describe the steps involved in achieving a certain outcome.
Other types of infographics include, comparison infographics, number infographics and resume infographics. They’ve each become an incredibly powerful tool for analysing larger data sets and explaining information. For more web design guides and blogs, be sure to check out our news section.
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