1. Infographics: The Right Messaging Alise Newman Media & Communications Specialist, Housing Virginia www.housingvirginia.org

2. WHAT ARE INFOGRAPHICS? Introduction www.housingvirginia.org

3. What is an Infographic? Information Graphic = visual representation of a data set or instructive material An infographic: Takes a large amount of information in text Condenses it into a combination of images and text Allows viewers to quickly grasp essential insights the data contains www.housingvirginia.org

4. Why use them? Images are processed in the brain faster than words Easy to grasp and visually appealing Shareable on social media Break up blocks of text in reports & presentations www.housingvirginia.org

5. INFOGRAPHIC DO’S & DON’TS Getting Started: Examples www.housingvirginia.org

6. Should I Use an Infographic? Original purpose = to inform However, it seems the “info” portion has taken a backseat to the desire to go viral through the use of a trendy tactic Often there is a clearer way of sharing information than an infographic www.housingvirginia.org

7. Should I Use an Infographic? Consider: is it causing more confusion or making your audience raise more questions than those being answered? Why are you sharing this? How does it fit into your overall plan? Does it visually match my “brand”? www.housingvirginia.org

8. Bad Examples www.housingvirginia.org

9. Infographics aren’t replacements for blog posts.

10. www.housingvirginia.org Maps that don’t add anything to the data or are confusing.

11. www.housingvirginia.org Visually striking but gimmicky. Was this the right way to present the information?

12. www.housingvirginia.org Bad design can make even interesting topics seem unimpressive and boring. This example is cluttered and confusing to the viewer – there is no “flow” through the image and WAY too much text.

13. www.housingvirginia.org What is the purpose? Is the information connected?

14. www.housingvirginia.org Though the design itself looks expensive and neat, what is this image actually saying? The results are unclear. If the viewer can’t immediately extract an answer to the title question, you should go back to the drawing board.

15. www.housingvirginia.org On the right track, but too dark and hard to read. Choose more contrasting colors for text and backgrounds.

16. Good Examples www.housingvirginia.org Tell me what YOU like about these infographics

17. www.housingvirginia.org

20. MAKING YOUR OWN Putting it into Practice www.housingvirginia.org

21. Before you even open Photoshop... The root of most bad content is lack of preparation Smart topic selection Getting enough material A shareable payoff Tell a story with a “visual story arch” – a clear beginning, middle and end www.housingvirginia.org RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!

22. For the Pros: Make your own from scratch in image design software (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) If you’re comfortable with Adobe products (such as Photoshop or Illustrator), you can jump right in and begin making your own! www.housingvirginia.org

23. For the Beginners or on a Tight Budget: Take advantage of infographic generators or designers Don’t have Photoshop? Overwhelmed by Adobe products’ pricing and usability? Just not a design person? There are plenty of designers to commission or free online services that generate simple infographics www.housingvirginia.org

24. Let’s try one now! Piktochart Free AccountPiktochart Free Account - Piktochart's customizable editor lets you do things like modify color schemes and fonts, insert pre-loaded graphics and upload basic shapes and images.

25. RESOURCES Further Reading www.housingvirginia.org

26. 10 Free Tools for Creating Infographics Don't have hours to spare crafting something beautiful in Photoshop? Sarah James selects tools that won't cost you a penny Canava See how non-designers are creating beautiful infographics with Canva's infographic maker. 20+ Tools to Create Your Own Infographics While not everyone can make infographics from scratch, there are tools available on the Web that will help you create your very own infographics 5 Tools For Creating Your Own Infographics With these services, you don’t have to be a designer to create a high-quality, effective infographic. 10 Steps To Designing An Amazing Infographic Transform data into a visually compelling graphic.

27. Contact www.housingvirginia.org Alise Newman Media & Communications Specialist Housing Virginia alise@hdadvisors.net (804) 915-9425 205 N Robinson St · Richmond, VA 23220