7 M I N U T E R E A D I N F O G R A P H I C O F T H E D A Y

10 Steps To DesigningAn Amazing InfographicHyperakt’s Josh Smith takes us through the processof transforming data into a visually compellinggraphic.

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Information can be useful—and even beautiful—but only when it’s presented well. In an age ofinformation overload, any guidance through theclutter comes as a welcome relief. That’s onereason for the recent popularity of informationgraphics. Infographics are visual designs that helpto explain complicated data in a simple way(mental-health emergencies at Burning Man,anyone?). But how are they created? What can welearn from the designer’s process? And what doesan infographic designer know about storksdelivering babies?

Over the last decade, Hyperakt has come tospecialize in this type of design, and we’ve found aprocess that works for us. Here’s how we go aboutcreating an infographic in ten steps:

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1. GATHERING DATASifting through data is where it all begins. It arrivesraw and messy: an excel spreadsheet, some PDFsand links to other resources are typical. Whilethere is sometimes guidance—"We’d like tocompare the charts on pages 12 and 65"—we takethis as a clue to find the story being told. This isalso when we begin to gather additional researchfrom new sources. The full picture of a story isusually found scattered through multiplematerials, not in isolated charts alone.

2. READING EVERYTHINGWhile it’s tempting to read only the highlightedfacts and skim the rest, this shortcut tends toresult in more time wasted later. Single pieces ofinformation in an ecosystem of research can skewthe big picture. Either your client will realize thisduring the process, or the audience will point it out

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once the project is complete. Nothing feels worsethan working hard on a project, then seeing itpicked apart because you didn’t connect the dots.Designers who make infographics are adept atspotting holes in the data, ensuring that noimportant information has been missed, andmaking sure the facts support the story being told.

3. FINDING THE NARRATIVEWhat starts as boring data will become a boringinfographic unless a great story can be found.Infographics start with a unique intent. It might beclarifying a complex set of data, explaining aprocess, highlighting a trend, or supporting somekind of argument. Finding a great narrative is thefirst hurdle. Now that the data is familiar, does itseem possible to tell this story with theinformation at hand? Are you interested in thesubject matter? Is this a compelling story worthtelling?

4. IDENTIFYING PROBLEMSAs a story emerges from the data at hand, it’s timeto stop for a reality check. In many cases, the datadoesn’t support the story a client wants to tell.What follows is usually a slightly awkwarddiscussion. Sometimes a client will want thedesigner to use only the facts that make them lookgood, twist the data, or otherwise get around thissnag. It quickly becomes evident that this pathwayis futile for everyone. The data doesn’t lie, andgood clients do not want to blatantly mislead. isthe next step is a collaborative reworking of thestory and the data. Having studied the topic forseveral days, the designer is a valuable guide todiscovering more accurate narratives andpresenting them. Pushing back on a client’soriginal idea can be a frustrating moment. In moresubjective situations (color, typography, etc.), it is

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harder for a designer to win battles, but in thesesituations the designer’s careful eye for detail isobvious in the data—and often appreciated.

The truth in information takes experience touncover. Data has a way of winning a debate,whether an argument is true or not. For example,drivers who own red cars are twice as likely to getinto accidents than drivers who own blue cars.This truth may (incorrectly) imply that car colorsomehow causes driving accidents. But the truestory is found in a hidden connection, known asthe confounding variable. Aggressive personalitytypes are shown to prefer the color red. Thisaggressive behavior, not car color, is theundisclosed reason that accident rates are affected.

5. CREATING A HIERARCHYIn almost any piece of research, there is a "hero"that leads the story. This piece of data will makeyour jaw drop. Once you find it, it becomes a way toorganize the project and solidifies the hierarchicalstructure of the infographic. Supporting elementsare then arranged to tell the rest of the story. Thisbecomes a kind of mood board of research points.At this stage, the picture of a final product willbegin to appear.

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6. BUILDING A WIREFRAMEOnce the data has been combed, the mostinteresting facts selected, and a hierarchydetermined, a wireframe is created. Here, thedesigner builds an understandable visualrepresentation of the important information andits hierarchy to send to the client for review. This isnot the ultimate design but a tool for discussion,enabling agreement on the structure the finalpiece will take.

7. CHOOSING A FORMATThere are endless ways to represent information.The best approach might be with traditional chartsand graphs (bar, line, pie charts). It might require adiagram or flowchart to explain a process. A mapmight be the best way to tell the story. Or perhapssimply showcasing the numbers is best. If the

budget is available and the data warrants it,interactivity might make sense and opens a worldof possibilities for data visualization. Whatever thecase, this decision is guided by the data, which willlend itself to one or a combination of theseformats.

8. DETERMINING A VISUAL APPROACHThere are two overarching visual approaches todetermining the look and feel of an infographic. Inone camp, there are those who prefer to make theraw data beautiful (David McCandless, NicholasFelton, and others subscribe to this view). Theseoften take the form of charts and graphs, madevisually exciting by their execution. The use ofcolor, typography, and structure make the pieceengaging, like an abstract work of art. Those in thesecond camp (Peter Orntoft, Scott Stowell), preferto use illustration or metaphor. Here, the data isdisguised, delivered to its audience in a visualnarrative often bearing little resemblance to achart or graph.

At Hyperakt, we are not beholden to any onestrategy. Often we create a hybrid: charts andgraphs surrounded by more illustrative elements,or a pure visual overlaid with traditionalrepresentations of data. The available information,medium, client brand, and subject are whatdetermine an ultimate solution.

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9. REFINEMENT AND TESTINGAs the infographic takes shape and a visual form,refinements begin. Clients are involved in workingthrough details, both in the data and the visualstorytelling, to ensure that the finished productmeshes well with their brand and original intent.Internally, we include the entire studio in a testingphase to ensure that the piece is readable and easyto understand, especially to those who have notseen the data before. We evaluate the design anditerate until the piece is as clear and simple aspossible. This valuable back and forth betweenclients and our internal team ends when everyoneis comfortable that we’ve delivered theinformation in the best possible way.

10. RELEASING IT INTO THE WORLDMost infographics are shared online—even printedillustrations appear online in some fashion. This isthe litmus test of your work. Data has the

interesting characteristic of being read in manyways by different audiences. All of the fact-checking and expertise imaginable doesn’t meanyou’ve discovered every aspect to the story. So evenonce your piece is published, online discussion canexpand (or tear apart) your argument in new ways.This collective vetting often means the project isnever quite done. Revisions might happen as newdata comes to light. While it is intimidating to letyour project become a part of this process, it is alsothe reason the medium is so rewarding. Anintensely scrutinized design is one that has stirredthe minds of its audience.

Infographic designers are unusual people. Thoughbudgets rarely account for this involved process,their labor of love continues. Get to know aninformation designer and prepare to hear somestrange facts: Who was the most chillwave band of2011? Is driving why you’re fat? What are the topfive cosmetic procedures in the U.S.? They mighteven reveal a data geek’s example of causation thatexplains the storks-and-babies folk tale: The datashows that the more storks in a town, the morenewborn babies there will be. But the hiddenvariable is a town’s land area: the larger the town,the more babies are born there—and, of course, themore habitable area for storks, too.

This piece is part of a -curatedseries on creativity and values written by thoughtleaders in the for-profit, for-good business space.

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