Nowadays, one of the most effective and interactive ways of communicating a large amount of data and information is done by creating an infographic, which is a visual representation of a group of data points. Given the fact that they are comprised of images, the information can be seen by users at a glance. In the business environment, websites mainly use this tool to share information that is part of a survey. Still, infographics have quite a lot of many other uses.
Some companies create infographics when they are comparing services or products, when they map sales or just for the sheer entertainment of their customers. So why are you not using them for example, to show financial data, the work-flow and many other things. As far as infographics go, the sky’s the limit!
Still, it’s easier said than done, right? You might be inclined to think that in order to create a great infographic you need to have some solid graphic skills or that it costs you a ton of money because you have to hire a specialist. Forget about that, it doesn’t have to be this difficult. There are some great sites that are able to help you create infographics even if you are a design-challenged person – and all free of charge.
Creating infographics by making use of online tools is easier than ever. In the last couple of years a rather large number of online tools have emerged that allow basically anyone to create outstanding visual content. Regardless whether you are working on a personal or a business project, for social media, each and every new project begins with choosing a template. Having the dimensions laid out for you, you are able to quickly focus your attention on creating effective designs. Creating an infographic means that you have to follow 3 simple steps: search, drag and publish. And that’s pretty much it.
Here are some of the most-known and easy-to-use free online tools that will help you create great infographics:
1. Infogr.am is a free tool with six layouts ready to help you get started. You could insert your data into each of the site’s pre-set boxes, or if you prefer, you can delete or add additional boxes. Another great plus of Infogr.am is that is has over a dozen graphic options, add photos, maps, video content and text boxes. And if that wasn’t enough, you are able to instantly share infographics on your social media channels or use the embed code to post it on your website.
2. Visme allows you to create not only infographics, but also meaningful and engaging content and interactive presentations. Visme is a great tool for creating visual content extremely fast given its large variety of templates and immense library of free shapes and icons at your disposal. The templates they provide are not only simple, but also extremely beautiful. For example, you could edit or insert the placeholder text and publish the infographic.
Another great figure of this service is the changing percentages feature within the chart. The only thing you need to do is click on the graphic you want to change, enter the desired number and the chart will change to reflect the new information almost instantly.
3. Canva is a design program that has been launched approximately two years ago and it is widely known for having made an impressive splash in the online design environment. The user experience starts with an awesome “23 Second Guide to Beautiful Design”, where they offer you a short intro to their design program.
After watching the tutorial, you are ready to start designing. It has quite an impressive amount of options, whether you are working on a social media project, a personal one or even one for work. For each project you can choose a different template to work on. Given that the dimensions are already done for you, you are able to focus your attention on creating impressive designs in a matter of minutes if not seconds.
4. Piktochart provides just three free themes. Still, don’t be discouraged. The customizable editor allows users to change fonts, color schemes, add basic shapes, uploaded images and pre-loaded graphics. Templates are customized with grid lines to help users line items up evenly and resize pictures in seconds. And if you find that this is the tool for you, you could upgrade to Piktochart Pro for $29 a month and you’ll have access to over 100 templates and more customization options.
5. Easel.ly provides you either with a dozen of free templates or with a blank canvas. Objects on templates can be removed and replaced with great modern graphics from 10 categories such as transportation, animals, icons and people. The end-product (infographic) can be either downloaded or shared via embed code or link.
1 Comment
This has actually been really helpful! Thx!