Information graphics are an effective way to visually presenting synthesized research result. At Vital Findings, we know that sometimes the hardest part about creating an infographic is simply getting started. With this in mind, we created this how-to guide to provide step-by-step instructions for creating a great infographic, with a vivd example of how we created the TMRE infographic as references.

1. HOW T
TELL YOUR STORY
VISUALLY
At Vital Findings, we believe that good, innovative market research
should be judged by the actual impact it has on product development,
marketing, and business strategy. As a top market research firm,
our mission is to elevate the market research profession beyond just
delivering reports and PowerPoint bullets, using the tools of design,
marketing science, and innovative research consulting to allow
researchers to actually enable business action.

2. Know your readers:
01
THE
INFORMATION
What do they want to know?
What do they need to know?
What will catch their attention?
Know your communication
objective
HOW VF DID IT?
•
•
•
•
Walk in readers' shoes: what would you
expect to learn from the graphic if you
were one of them?
Filtered out useful information from
everything available
Quantified words and themes in
addition to data
Brainstormed for information gaps
needed to narrate the story
Requested extra information and
initiated secondary research online
for missing pieces
HOW VF DID IT?
02
THE
STORY
Connect the dots
Determine how data
points interconnect
Draw something! Sketch out your
storyboard on a piece of paper to test
its strength
•
•
•
Ideated on the creative theme
(ideas we had were scavenger
hunt maps and the journey of a
researcher at TMRE)
Laid out all the text information
Walked in readers' shoes to
identify the main points of interest
as speakers, people and content
HOW VF DID IT?
03
THE
EXECUTION
Determine layout hierarchy
Create a dominant visual
element
Use visual cues to guide the
readers through the storyline
Use Kuler.adobe.com to pick the
right color!
•
•
•
•
Created a series of vivid "badges" to
represent content streams
Added other visuals (illustration/
imagery to compliment
Used the line chart to illustrate
TMRE's growth and balance the white
space
Chose a map to show global reach
(brains respond better to graphics
and colors than plain text!)
HOW VF DID IT?
04
THE
REFINEMENT
Balance everything!
Minimalism is the key
The layout is a puzzle; figure
out how it best fits together by
experiementing
Don't let design overshadow
information, every design element
should have a content-driven purpose
•
•
•
Added in Nashville's skyline to serve
as a visual anchor
Balanced the visual and text
proportions (We found that 60%
visual and 40% text was the right
ratio for this graphic after trying
other combinations)
If something looks off to you, it is off!
(We experimented with 10 different
ways before it was perfect)