This blog post is a part of our mini-series to bring you quick tips to ensure your infographic design projects are a success!
The beginning of the year can include (or might not include) a lot of goal-setting, and planning ahead for the year to come. Setting a plan before diving into your next infographic can help set you up for success!
Last month, we talked about creating a timeline to visualize how long this process might take. As part of the planning process, encouraging time for brainstorming and creating multiple drafts is critical!
Once you have an idea about what you might want to create, let your brain wander.
Although digital tools are awesome, it can be worthwhile to start with a paper and pencil draft. Can your ideas even fit onto a regular 8×11 piece of paper?? This brainstorming can also be shared with your colleagues and team. Remember, you don’t need to be an artist – this doesn’t have to be perfect. Getting the overall ideas and key messages can allow your digital designs and finesse to be much more efficient. Of course, once you transfer to digital, things change. We might not always like it, but change is OK and expected in infographics design.
Plan to create multiple drafts. One-and-done is not typical in infographics design! Here are a few tips and tricks we use:
- Have an idea during your commute? Grab that spare napkin or piece of paper from your bag and jot it down and start to visualize it.
- Using an 8×11 piece of paper for your drafts can be a practical approach. If the infographic will be printed, this standard paper size is the easiest. Do your ideas fit onto one page?
- As mentioned previously, “sleep on it”. Perhaps the inner-artist needs some shut-eye, and those designs will pop after some rest.
From a napkin to a digital or printed piece, planning ahead and creating multiple drafts can allow your infographic to improve and grow over time!
Blog Post Photo by Jason Coudriet on Unsplash
You can create infographics too!
Elevate your career by integrating graphic design into your public health work. To get started, try this 6 day infographic challenge that helps you ease into designing.
