Book Explains How to Make Cool Infographics

Cool InfographicsCoverDESIGNERS. One of the fastest-rising forms of content marketing is infographics. According to a report on 2014 Content Marketing Trends published by the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs, the number of B2B using infographics jumped from 38% in 2012 to 51% in 2013.

In theory, an infographic enables a company to control how selected groups of facts are presented. When an infographic is presented in the form of an image file, the company doesn’t have to worry that statistics presented in text form in a press release will get misrepresented during editing. The trouble is: Not all infographics are equally effective or well-designed. Some infographics are visual mishmashes that might have benefitted from the storytelling expertise of an experienced editor.

To learn all of the nuances that make some infographics more effective than others, read Randy Krum’s new book: “Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design.” The book was published by Wiley in October, 2013

In the book’s introduction, Krum defines an infographic as “a graphic design that combines data visualizations, illustrations, text, and images into a format that tells a complete story.

A data visualization is a visual representation of numerical values, such as a chart or graph. While charts and graphics make it possible to viewers to easily comprehend large amounts of data, a well-designed infographic is more than an artfully arranged collection of charts, graphs, or other types of data visualizations.

“Infographics have become more like articles or speeches,” observes Krum. Complete with introductions and calls to action, “Their purpose is to inform, entertain, and persuade audiences.”

In the book, Krum offers graphic designers, marketers, and business professionals practical tips for using infographics to present and promote data. In “Cool Infographics”, he:

  • Explains why infographics and data visualizations work.
  • Shares tools and techniques for creating great infographics
  • Discusses how to use social media and search-engine-optimization to promote infographics developed for online marketing purposes.
  • Demonstrates how to use an infographic resume to market your skills as a professional
  • Explores the many ways businesses use infographics, including board meeting presentations, annual reports, consumer research statistics, marketing strategies, business plans, and visual explanations of products and services to customers.

“Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design” is now available for purchase online and at retailers nationwide in both print and all e-book formats.

About the Author

Randy Krum is founder and president of InfoNewt, an infographic design and data-visualization company. He designs infographics for both online publications and internal communications, and consults on building infographic landing pages, social sharing links, infographic SEO, reaching key influencers, and tracking results. To see examples of effective infographics, visit Krum’s blog: Coolinfographics.com.

LINKS

Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualization and Design

Blog: Cool Infographics

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