Essential Steps to Designing an Effective Infographic

It goes without saying that blending visuals with text packs a more powerful punch than just text alone. No wonder, infographics have become such an important and effective marketing tool for modern businesses. Research shows that the production rate of infographics increases by one per cent every day. The use of infographics boosts web traffic and the audience find them more engaging because visuals are more readily received and remembered by the brain compared to mere text. While a graphic design programme will teach you the basic of designing an infographic, following a few steps will help you create infographics that are really effective.

 

• Research and Gather Data

In order to make a successful infographic, you must know and research the topic really well. You also need to see what has been previously done on the topic and what new you can bring to the table. If you are putting in specific details about your company or any other data, make sure they are accurate and have been placed at significant places in the infographic. Designing infographics can seem intimidating at first. If you're new at designing infographics, Pinterest is a great place to check out sample infographics.

• Think Out of the Box

Novel ideas are always better than tried and tested ones. One of the most effective techniques to use in infographics is analogy. A simple Google search will help you find several such infographics with interesting analogies. For example, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions uses a food analogy to show how boogying fuels content creation. The main aim of your infographic should be to educate and inspire your audience. New and innovate ideas will drive home the point much more easily.

• Keep it Simple

Clutter means confusion. Opt for a simple style with a limited number of fonts, a consistent colour scheme, and stick to one style for the visuals. Incorporating too many elements will confuse the audience and your message will be lost on them.

• Storytelling

Your infographic shouldn't be just a collage of text and visuals. It should tell a story and all the elements should be connected to the main narrative. Your audience should be engaged and interested right from the beginning.

•  Mind the Size

Size plays a very important role in where your place your infographic. Since infographics are mostly about visuals the width should be no more than 735 pixels and the length should be limited to 500 pixels, otherwise resizing can play havoc with your visuals. Having a standard size makes it easy to share as well as hold your audience's attention.

• Optimize and Share

Your infographic will reach no one if you don't share it. Infographics can drive a lot of traffic to your website or blog so make sure to add share buttons as well as optimize it for better viewing on all devices and browsers.

A graphic design programme can teach you the nitty-gritty of an infographic. Combining creativity with accurate data and information to design infographics can bring in more leads for your website and business.

Essential Guide to Creating a Logo that Works

Professors at graphic design colleges in Singapore work hard to make sure that the future designers are able to not only master their artistic skills but also add another dimension to their work by using their marketing or business acumen to differentiate a good logo from a bad one. If you have worked on various logo design projects or have simply observed the current marketplace, you will notice that the effective logos are the ones that are simple, distinctive, practical appropriate and able to convey an intended message for a brand.

Here are a few things you want to keep in mind when designing a logo for a client –

·         Focus on Simplicity

An effective logo is one that is easy to recognize, versatile and memorable. A simple logo can provide something unexpected and one of a kind without having to be overdrawn.

·         Making it Memorable

Close to simplicity, an effective logo is one that the audience can easily remember. Effective logos can enhance brand recall value by being simple and appropriate.

·         Creating an Enduring Logo

The logo you design should also be able to endure through generations that the brand hopes to cater to over the coming years. By choosing to create a design that is future proof, you will be able to appeal to audiences even may be 20 or 50 years down the line.

·         Incorporating Versatility

The brand’s logo will be used on websites, television advertisements, print advertisements corporate stationary and a host of other places. Make it a point to create a logo design that works well o all platforms and applications.

Establishing an Effective Design Process

Design colleges in Singapore cannot overstate how important it is for designers taking on any form of project to establish a design process that works for them as well as their clients. When taking up a logo design here is an approach worth considering –

·         Get a Design Brief

Start by interviewing your client to get a comprehensive brief on the project and what is the end result that they expect.

·         Research

The next step to consider is research. Spend time going through industry trends, standards and assess the logo’s the competition is using. Look at the successful ones as well as the ones that didn’t work to have a holistic idea on what your approach should be.

·         Creating the Concept

Sketch out a few logo concepts based on your research and brief and run it pat the client. To be able to prevent a burn out and to maximize results it is recommended that you take breaks throughout the design process. This way you ideas will mature and refine itself.

Finally, choose to present only a few logos that you feel are closest to the needs of the client. Do not deter from receiving consistent feedback. By working hand in hand with the client, you will be able to maximize your design skills and create an end result that is closest to or even surpasses the client’s expectations. Logo designing as a project demands not only impeccable design skills but also a slight inclination towards branding as a subject.

Summary

This article discusses the approaches to consider when creating the next most memorable logo design for a business.