At a glance
- Combine text and visual elements to present information clearly and understandably.
- Audience-oriented design, comprehensibility, visual hierarchy, and data accuracy are essential.
- Make complex content easier to understand, improve memorability, and are well suited to digital distribution.
What question do you have about infographics?
Your input is sent to an AI service to answer it and is stored to improve the answers. Please do not enter any personal data. Privacy policy
What is an infographic? – infographic definition
An infographic is a visual representation of information, data, or knowledge designed to present complex content in an accessible and engaging way. The term combines “information” and “graphic” and describes the goal of communicating content with minimal reliance on text and a strong visual focus.
Infographics are frequently used to visualize data, highlight trends, or explain complex relationships. They are used in virtually every field, from education and journalism to marketing and corporate communications. They allow viewers to absorb and process information quickly, making them a valuable communication medium, particularly in the digital world.
„Since we started building our reports with sparklines and the two-color logic from DeltaMaster, we grasp trends and outliers at a glance. We no longer needed decorative graphics for that.“Head of Controlling
Industrial company
How is an infographic structured? – infographic elements
An infographic combines visual and textual elements to present information clearly and effectively. Typical core components include charts, icons, short texts, and a legend explaining how the content should be interpreted. The exact composition depends on the specific type of infographic.
Trusted by market leaders and hidden champions
What are the benefits of infographics?
Infographics can offer a range of benefits to both creators and viewers. Some of the most important advantages include:
- Demonstrating expertise: Infographics communicate specialized knowledge and strengthen audience trust by presenting complex information in a concise form.
- Easy sharing: Their compact and engaging format makes infographics well suited for sharing on social media, by email, or on websites.
- Memorability: Combining text with visual presentation helps information remain in the viewer’s memory.
- Simplifying complex content: Infographics make difficult-to-understand data or concepts more accessible through visual elements such as charts and symbols.
- Visual appeal: The combination of colors, graphics, and text attracts attention and quickly directs the viewer’s focus to key information.
What types of infographics are there?
Not all infographics are the same. There are many different ways of presenting information graphically, and infographics can therefore vary considerably in appearance. Common types include:
How do you create an infographic?
Once you have decided to create an infographic, the question arises: how do you go about creating one? The following steps and recommendations can help:
What makes a good infographic? – Infographic design rules
The perfect infographic looks clear, concise, understandable, and visually appealing. It helps to grasp complex information easily and to capture the viewer's attention. The following characteristics make a good infographic:
- Simplicity: Infographics should be kept simple and focus on a single main topic in order to avoid an overload of information.
- Color and font choice: An appealing color scheme and typographic consistency that fit the message of the graphic also characterize a good infographic.
- Accuracy: All facts and data contained in the infographic should be thoroughly researched.
- Creativity and originality: A good infographic is unique in order to stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression.
- Comprehensibility: Good infographics use clear headings and structured, unambiguous text and graphic elements so that content remains easy to read and grasp.
- Visual elements: In addition to the infographic text, symbols and images in particular should visually clarify the key messages and relationships.
- Visual hierarchy: Information should be sorted by importance so that the viewer's eye is guided logically through the infographic.
- Target-group appropriate: A good infographic is tailored to the needs and interests of the target group in order to capture their attention.
DeltaMaster is an example of a BI tool that views infographics critically, since the criteria mentioned are often not met and thus the integrity of the infographic is not given. Therefore, DeltaMaster relies on neuroscientifically researched principles of data visualization to present complex data simply and understandably.
Use Cases: Where Are Infographics Used?
Infographics are used wherever complex content needs to be conveyed quickly and understandably. Typical fields of application range from corporate communication to data analysis in controlling.
Where would you like to use infographics?
Your input is sent to an AI service to answer it and is stored to improve the answers. Please do not enter any personal data. Privacy policy
Bissantz and infographics
At Bissantz, information density takes precedence over decoration. For this reason, the company follows an independent, scientifically grounded approach to visualization and deliberately distinguishes itself from conventional infographics. While such graphics may appear attractive at first glance, they often neglect key principles of information processing and can distract from what matters through excessive visual design.
Instead, the business intelligence software DeltaMaster uses visualization techniques based on findings from perceptual psychology and neuroscience. Two central elements of this approach are:
- Sparklines: Small line charts integrated into tables that make trends and developments over time immediately visible – without taking up space for legends or axes.
- Bissantz’ Numbers: A typographic visualization technique in which numerical values are displayed proportionally to their magnitude. Large numbers appear larger, small numbers smaller – allowing significant outliers to immediately catch the eye.
The use of color also follows clear rules: blue represents positive developments, while red represents negative developments. This two-color approach avoids visual overload and ensures maximum clarity. The result is a functional infographic that is not merely visually appealing but can also be understood immediately.
Bissantz does not regard infographics as decorative accessories but as precise tools for communicating insights. Its visualization methods are designed to present business data clearly, consistently, and in a decision-relevant manner.
| Function | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Sparklines | make trends and developments over time immediately visible |
| Bissantz' Numbers | represent numerical values proportionally to their magnitude and highlight outliers |
| Two-color scheme (blue/red) | marks good and bad developments and avoids sensory overload |
„The typographically scaled numbers make our KPIs immediately understandable, without us having to explain legends or axes. That saves us a lot of time in meetings.“BI Manager
Food producer
Frequently asked questions
What is an infographic in simple terms?
An infographic is a combination of images and text that makes complex information understandable at a glance. Instead of reading a long article, viewers see the most important facts presented visually through charts, symbols, and short texts. The brain processes visual information faster than plain text, which is why infographics can be particularly effective for communicating information and making it memorable.
What is the difference between an infographic and a chart?
A chart is a specific graphical element – such as a bar chart, line chart, or pie chart – used to visualize data. An infographic is more comprehensive: it combines multiple graphical elements, texts, icons, and charts into a coherent overall composition that tells a story or explains a topic in greater depth. A chart can be part of an infographic, but an infographic is not simply a chart.
What is the difference between an infographic and a dashboard?
A dashboard is an interactive, data-driven interface that displays current KPIs and is designed for ongoing business management, often in real time or near-real time. An infographic is generally static and is intended to communicate a specific topic or message. Dashboards are designed for controlling and management, whereas infographics are more commonly used for external communication, presentations, or knowledge transfer.
Why are some infographics viewed critically from a business intelligence perspective?
In a business intelligence context, the visual design of an infographic can distract from the underlying information. Decorative elements, inconsistent use of color, and a lack of visual hierarchy can make data more difficult to interpret or even distort its intended message. Bissantz therefore uses neuroscientifically grounded visualization principles – sparklines, typographically scaled numbers, and a two-color logic – to communicate data precisely and without distraction.
Summary
Infographics are powerful communication tools that make complex information visually accessible – when they are well designed. In a business intelligence context, however, decoration must never come at the expense of precision. Bissantz follows a scientifically grounded visualization approach in DeltaMaster that uses sparklines, typographically scaled numbers, and a two-color logic to present data clearly, consistently, and in a decision-relevant manner – as a functional alternative to decorative infographics.