There's a whole lot to like about well-designed infographics: beautiful typography, succinct messaging, clever layouts, bold graphics.
Not to mention that people follow directions 323% better with text and illustrations than without illustrations.
As the fourth most used type of content marketing, infographics pop up all over the place — from social posts to whitepapers. But don't be fooled. They require just as much strategic thinking as a blog post or video.
Yet, as this list of the best infographic examples shows, the effort is absolutely worthwhile. Adding them to your marketing strategy can increase web traffic by 12% and help you stay competitive in the B2B crowd, where 65% of marketers use infographics.
Luckily, there are numerous resources to create beautiful infographics of your own.
To help inspire your next visual creation, here are a handful of stunning branded infographics to kickstart your creativity.
9 of the Best Infographic Examples of 2020
1. How SMB sales teams are keeping up in 2020, by Zendesk
We all know 2020 led to massive changes in the way we work, buy, and enjoy leisure time. But this infographic by Zendesk hones in on a specific group (SMB sales teams) to show how they keep up with the times.
Through research-backed data, clear visuals, and concise copy, the main point comes across crystal clear: Know customers' expectations to meet them where they are.
This infographic does a good job following one theme from start to finish. Readers can answer "What's the point?" within the first few sentences — a best practice, according to CoSchedule.
This helps focus your infographic, so you don't cram too much information or too many topics into one piece. Which is why Zendesk flowed from the research and stats to how SMB sales teams are adopting new technology to keep up.
They even include the benefits of CRM technology, like a 52% increase in productivity from sales reps. Of course, the benefits align with the customer service software Zendesk offers, making the infographic a good sales tool for their own team.
2. Response to COVID-19, by the U.S Food and Drug Administration
It wouldn't be a 2020 round-up without mentioning the global pandemic that kept many of us at home for months. The bright spot? There are infographics galore educating people on how to properly wash their hands and social distance.
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also relied on this visual medium to share how their regulatory department addressed COVID-19.
This infographic example made the list for several reasons. First, to show how infographics can be used to highlight impact, instead of sharing step-by-step instructions or research-oriented content.
The impact of each action is organized into separate columns and given a distinct color to help your eyes track from top to bottom. While this flow breaks the typical left to right reading pattern, it's not distracting or difficult to follow.
The healthcare worker graphics at the top of the page nods to those on the frontlines, the colors align with the brand, important numbers are easy to read, and the page isn't crowded with text.
So the next time you need to explain the fruits of your labors to your boss, help win them over with an impact-driven infographic.
3. Content Marketing in Times of Uncertainty, by LinkedIn
In uncertain times, more than eight out of 10 people want brands to act as a news source, foster a sense of community, and provide educational resources. Whew.
As a content marketer, those are major expectations to live up to. LinkedIn realized the changing global landscape would alter customer expectations, and, as a result, content marketing strategies. So the team put together this handy infographic to help marketers focus on what matters most.
This infographic example features a number of design elements from LinkedIn's current brand. The graphics adhere to their primary and complementary color scheme, include diverse characters, and relate to the work-from-home times.
They also use color block banners to add visual interest and break up chunks of text. But my favorite part? The ruler graphic on how to measure ROI and show why your efforts are worthwhile.
4. Pianeta plastica, by Manuel Bortoletti for GEDI Gruppo
“Che bello” is the first thought that comes to mind for this design. The stunning data visualizations, oceanic color scheme, and easy-to-understand layout let the visuals do the talking. Visme explains how an infographic follows this essential best practice if it makes sense with all of the text removed.
That may seem impossible, but designer Manuel Bortoletti pulls it off with informative maps accompanied by clear keys and a bar graph that uses oil tankers to inform readers about how oil circulates the globe.
Even with my incredibly limited Italian, I understand that the main point of the piece is to inform readers about the impact of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. And since this infographic was designed for the Italian media outlet GEDI Gruppo, it stays on-brand with a more formal editorial tone.
5. How to Properly Wear a Mask, by John Hopkins Medicine
Education is the crux of an infographic. And when you have mere seconds to capture people's increasingly narrow attention span, the information better be easy to learn.
That's why one of the best infographic examples comes from John Hopkins Medicine. They designed an infographic to share tips on a crucial COVID-19 procedure: wearing a mask.
Is covering your nose important? You bet. What about wearing a bandana as a mask? No way. Hopkins uses a combination of straightforward graphics and copy to make the do's and don'ts very clear.
As a renowned medical institution, they have the experience and authority to educate people on this topic, so it's both fitting for their brand and helpful for everyone's health. A true win-win.
6. How to Be Productive While Working From Home, by bannersnack
Working from home isn't the pajama party many people (used to) imagine. As offices closed and thousands of people turned dining tables into home office spaces, bannersnack created this infographic to help its employees transition to a different way of working. As a freelancer who's been working remotely for the past five years, I found it full of practical tips and technology.
Beyond basic elements like brand colors, bannersnack includes information people can immediately put to use. While it's easy to stay planted on your couch all day, they recommend finding multiple workspaces for different tasks. An inspirational spot for creative thinking, and another for deep work and crunched deadlines.
Tips like this may seem small once you've been working remotely for a while, but for newcomers, it's one less thing you have to learn yourself while adjusting to a different routine.
7. 45 Slack Tricks That Will Impress Your Boss, by Net Credit
A tool as powerful as Slack has many features most people will never use, yet this infographic makes it easy to look like the cool "Slack-er" at the company. Even if you've only mastered the /giphy shortcut until now.
Net Credit starts with a handful of stats to inform readers and give an idea of Slack's scope. Who knew people spend 50 million hours on the platform in one week? I'm intrigued and want to keep reading.
As you scroll down the graphic, you see a combination of direct headlines "Read Channel Highlight" followed by text instructions and visual cues. As a visual learner, I appreciate how these cues mirror the actual interface.
Each section is organized to help you find what you're looking for, whether it's "#channel" or "message" tips. Finance may be Net Credit's bread and butter, but this infographic shows how their team is adaptable and helpful — exactly what you want in a financial partner.
8. The Sustainable Development Goals Report, by the United Nations
Infographics are a great way to add visual flavor to otherwise dry content, like annual reports and whitepapers.
What stands out in this infographic example is how it can be used as one visual or divided into 17 sections — one for each Sustainable Development Goal. This allows the content team to choose which type of content best fits the target audience.
If the UN is speaking to organizations that empower women and girls, they can share the "Gender Equality'' graphic. But a non-profit that promotes all of the UN goals will likely be interested in the entire design.
While a lot of information is packed into each graphic, it's never overwhelming. Each goal is clearly separate from the other with bold headers and distinct colors, which are also used to differentiate the goals across all of the UN's marketing efforts.
9. Tech's Bizarre Beginnings & Lucrative Pivots, by Visual Capitalist
The beauty of infographics? They can be used by dozens of industries for hundreds of different purposes. But the best ones are often unexpected.
Take this graphic designed by Visual Capitalist. It reveals the wild origin stories of some of the biggest tech companies today. I personally had no idea YouTube began as a video dating site with the tagline "Tune In. Hook Up."
As a growing online publication that focuses on data and technology news, Visual Capitalist's audience is likely interested in stories around company pivots that led to success.
That information, coupled with a simple timeline structure, fun graphics, and hard-hitting metrics, make it tough to look away from this infographic. Plus, we all need reminders that it's not where you start, but where you're going.
Now that your creativity is sparked, it's the perfect time to start creating your own infographics. If you're ready to jump into the design phase, learn how to make infographics in Powerpoint, check out these templates, or discover how to create an interactive infographic.
If you're in the planning phase, begin by getting buy-in from your boss with these convincing infographic stats and conducting research that will make your infographic both informative and beautiful.
