Infographics are a graphical representation of data. They are a great way to display information to make connections between different statistics. There are several online sites that allow you to create your own infographic. They include a range of tools to add charts, pictograms, icons, text and images.
The basic, free service, of online sites only gives you access to a few templates, but with a bit of creativity they can be modified to create a wide range of graphical options.
Two of the best and easiest services to use are:
Piktochart
The free version of Piktochart allows you to download your infographic as a low-res Jpeg or PNG or share it on social media. It can also be embedded within a Blackboard site within an <iframe>.
Venngage
The free version of Venngage only allows you to share your infographic via social media.
As with all free software, any infographic you create will be visible to everyone so any sensitive data should not be included.
To create your own infographic go to either site and register for a free account. Then pick a template to start creating. Either a blank canvas or one of the free templates. The tools available are self-explanatory and easy to use. You can upload your own images or charts or create them using the inbuilt tools.
It is advisable to have all your data to hand before starting work to speed up the process and allow you to create suitable charts.
Piktochart has the most features available to the basic user.
Data can be imported to create a chart. This can be from either a .csv or.xslx file. This means that once your data has been organised in spreadsheet it can be uploaded without needing to be re-input.
Once completed your infographic can be downloaded as Jpeg or PNG file. More options are available in the Pro version of the software.
Infographics created in Piktochart can be published and embedded in to a Blackboard site by the use of an <iframe>.
Below is are examples of infographics made in Piktochart.
Easelly
Easel.ly is a simple web tool that empowers anyone to create and share powerful visuals (infographics, posters).
Below is an example infographics explaining what an infographic is.
Created by Customer Magnetism.
Canva
https://www.canva.com/create/infographics/
Create compelling infographics for free
Infographics make complex information eye catching, shareable and easily digestible. Most importantly, they play a crucial role in the increasingly visual world of marketing.
Canva’s infographic maker includes hundreds of free design elements, allowing you to experiment with data visualisation like a pro.
