4 common (but easily remedied) infographic killers

As visual content surges, infographics are dominating social media.

“However, most infographics are plain terrible,” says designer Bob Zeni. “They’re little more than chart junk.”

Here are four common culprits, along with proven fixes for each:

1. Failure to pinpoint a purpose. “Everyone wants to start writing cool copy or designing neat graphics,” Zeni says, “but jumping in without a plan is a common mistake.”

Instead, first determine how you want your infographic to engage your audience. “This is your unifying purpose,” he says. “It will determine everything from the copy you write to the images you select.”

Most infographics, for example, are intended to persuade, inform or entertain. Consider these common purposes before you begin:

Persuade

Inform

Entertain

2. Failure to embrace a narrative. “Marketers often get caught up in data and calls to action,” says Zeni, “but the most powerful infographics are stories. That means they must have a beginning, middle and end.”

The infographic below, for example, includes an opening title, introduction, main body, recap and conclusion.