You’ve already decided to use infographics to promote your business. But what kinds of infographics would you share? What would they say? And what should they look like?

It certainly helps to learn more about common visual styles for infographics as you sign up for graphic design services. The more you know, the more ideas you might be able to bring to the drawing board.

Flat design

Flat design is a style you’ve most likely seen, whether in infographics or not. It’s used in everything from the home screen of Windows 8, to WordPress templates, to the Weather app on iOS. You’ll know this visual style by the following characteristics:

• Large elements in open spaces, with clean lines and crisp edges

• Minimal use of texture, drop shadow, and other three-dimensional effects

• Solid color blocks that distinguish topics, themes, or sections

• Small icon-like illustrations that summarize actions or ideas

Flat design is popular for infographics because it helps viewers zero in on the written content. It strategically provides color and illustration to make data visually appealing and digestible, but does not go overboard with distracting visual details.

As GraphicMama points out, you “can’t go wrong” with this “safest choice for infographic design.” At the same time, because the style is widely used, you’d have to “come up with something people haven’t seen yet.”

Custom illustration

Afraid of the generic? You can ask an artist to make your infographic pop with custom illustrations. These boost your content beyond making it look more interesting:

• A custom illustration can be the best medium for presenting information that photographs or other visuals can’t.

• Done playfully, it can help “break the ice” and make hard facts easier to approach—“boring” data more “fun”, so to speak.

• Like an editorial cartoon, it can encapsulate or reinforce the message of your infographic.

• It can convey or boost the personality of your brand.

While many illustrations are two-dimensional (and can be incorporated into flat designs),

three-dimensional ones are becoming trendy. These may be your best bet if you’re looking to graphically represent concepts about architecture, nature, or any other space.

Photo backgrounds

“Using bold photos to illustrate data is a must” in 2019, says the tech and design site Hongkiat. It’s a tip worth following to make your infographics stand out.

Some businesses can commission creative photographs to create infographics, producing provocative results. Yet you don’t necessarily have to go that route to publish eye-catching visuals.

For example, you’d be amazed at what you can craft using stock photography. These images tend to be viewed as hit or miss, but a skilled graphic design team can creatively layer data onto them to make effective infographics.

Typography

Sometimes, you may not even need images or illustrations to make an infographic work. Maybe all you need is typography—big, bold, and dramatic lettering on backgrounds of vivid color that will get your point across at a glance.

According to Venngage, typographic visuals are poised to take center stage in 2019 for a reason more practical than aesthetic: they’re easier to view on small screens. After all, reading a few lines of typography takes less time and effort than looking at a fully illustrated infographic.

Which of these styles do you want to start with? If you still have questions about which approach best suits the content you’re planning, consult your content creation agency.