Anyone experienced with Photoshop or who has a Canva account will be able to put together a basic infographic. However, an infographic made by an inexperienced designer may not get you the results you are looking for. If you want to create high-quality content that will really drive traffic to your site or be widely shared across social media platforms, you should consider hiring a professional infographic designer.
(George Milton / pexels)
What is an Infographic Designer?
When looking for a designer, be sure that the person you choose really understands the “info” part as well as visual graphic design. There is a difference between a general graphic designer and someone who designs infographics specifically.
The layout of a good infographic must allow for quick and easy comprehension of often complex data and information. Even a good graphic designer may end up creating a striking design where the data and information are ultimately incomprehensible. Visuals are only part of the whole of infographic design.
Professional Touch
Before creating an infographic, you should first consider the goals you have for your content. Are you looking to bring people back to your site, increasing website views? Do you want to get data across to sway readers in a CTA? Will the infographic be mostly internally reviewed? Or sent out to a wide audience? Thinking through your needs ahead of time will be helpful in creating a design brief and in choosing the best designer for your company.
Whatever your goals, here are five reasons to forego Canva and hire a professional infographic designer.
1. Research Before Design
Many infographic designers will offer research services as part of the agreement. This way, you will be able to come up with the overarching concept and goals of the content piece without worrying about collecting all of the specific information and data.
An infographic is made up of both imagery and text, and a good infographic designer will not just provide the visual layout but put together quality copy as well.
2. Experience
We’ve established that infographics must distill complex data, and professional designers have a lot of experience in understanding how colors, imagery, graphics, and text best fit together to create an effective, beautiful, and easy-to-comprehend piece. This is much easier said than done.
You will not want to simply present a basic graph or chart you’ve thrown together but a well-designed infographic that viewers may look at and quickly understand the message you’re trying to get across. A good designer will find the right angle to present the data in a visually striking way. They will also be able to match the graphic design to your brand’s visual identity and tone.
With professionals, you will be able to look through their extensive portfolios ahead of time to really see what they are able to do for you and whether their style will best represent your brand. Designers may also have strong HTML and programming skills, allowing them to help you convert your content for better online promotion.
3. Out of the Box Ideas
Without the experience and expertise of understanding what has worked and what has not, your ideas for infographic design might not, in fact, be the best.
A good professional designer will be able to think outside of your specific requests and offer up solutions you may not have considered. An infographic designer will also be up-to-date on trends and innovations in design and may suggest adding things such as 3D representation, video additions, gifs, and interactive elements.
4. Long-Term Partnership
If you find that infographics do end up working for your company or brand, it would be beneficial to have an established relationship with a designer. Having someone who understands your design needs and your long-term goals will make future work easier and more efficient.
5. More Exposure
A sleek, professional-looking piece of content will be shared more often and on higher traffic sites. Readers, influencers, and other brands will not want to share a low-quality infographic in their posts. You will want your content to stand out and to bring authority and credibility to your company or brand, as well as to anyone who posts infographics for you.
A good infographic takes a lot of time to research, create and promote. Even if you streamline the process by using a template, the finished product may end up looking rigid and uninspired. Going with a professional infographic designer who knows how to format data in an intuitive and visually appealing way will help ensure the best results for your content piece.
If you do decide to hire a professional designer, there are lots of options out there. Be sure to look over samples of their work to make sure you’re choosing the best design fit. A professionally designed infographic is sure to bring measurable benefits, including increased exposure and engagement.