Infographic Guide for MS Word

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INFOGRAPHICS A GUIDE TO DESIGNING IN MICROSOFT WORD

An infographic displays information in a useful, easy-to-digest way for a specific target audience. Infographics help you make an argument, educate viewers, or explore an issue with data and visuals. This guide will help you build Infographics in Microsoft Word

LET’S GET STARTED: CHOOSING A LAYOUT 1. WHAT’S YOUR GOAL? AUDIENCE

INFORMATION CATEGORICAL

Information that relates to a broader topic, components of a system or issue

SPECIALIZED

LINEAR

GENERAL

Any process, story, or information with a logical progression of facts or events

Audience is assumed to have no or limited knowledge about the issue

COMPONENTS

SCROLL

Audience is expected to have background or technical knowledge about the topic

PROCESS

TITLE STAT 1

PHOTO 1

POINT 1

PROBLEM STAT

STAT 2

STAT

STAT

POINT 2 PHOTO

CAPTION

TITLE STAT 3

SOLUTION

POINT 3 STAT PHOTO 2

STAT 4

ACTION

STAT

STAT

ACTION ITEM REFERENCES

PREVENTING CLUTTER: Symmetry helps keep a graphic with a lot of information from looking cluttered Everything on a graphic should serve a purpose, including lines, arrows, and photos. If it isn’t necessary, leave it out

2. SKETCH IT OUT

CALL TO ACTION/ ACTION ITEMS If your goal is to convince an audience to change behavior, attend an event, give input or feedback, include an action item (link, registration page, etc.) at the end/ bottom !

SETTING UP YOUR GRAPHIC IN WORD 1. GO TO FILE > PAGE SETUP This window should pop-up

2. SELECT DROP-DOWN

A NOTE ON PAGE SETUP: Most Infographics look best with 0” borders. You are also able to save templates with custom names

3. SELECT MANAGE CUSTOM SIZES

SCROLL-THROUGH 6” X 22”

Microsoft Word limits page sizes to 22” in height and width. However, by working with a narrower document, you can imitate a longer scrollthrough infographic

CATEGORICAL 12” X 16”

PICK A THEME! Each infographic should have a cohesive set of fonts, colors and graphics !

FONTS

PICK 3 FONTS AT MOST INCLUDING A HEADING, SUBHEADING AND BODY FONT SANS SERIF FONTS MAKE THE CLEAREST HEADERS AVOID SCRIPT/ HANDWRITING FONTS DOWNLOAD FREE FONTS

COLORS WORD HAS BUILT-IN COLOR SCHEMES, WHICH HELPS YOU RECOLOR ICONS TO FIT WITH YOUR COLORS

GRAPHICS CHOOSE FROM FLAT OR PHOTOGRAPHIC/REALISTIC ICONS, BUT DON’T MIX AND MATCH

TRY TO USE COLORS TO DEFINE CATEGORIES OR SECTIONS IN AN INFOGRAPHIC

MICROSOFT’S PHOTO EDITING ALLOWS YOU TO EDIT ICONS, GRAPHS AND CHARTS TO FIT YOUR COLORS

DIFFERENT COLORS CONVEY DIFFERENT EMOTIONS

USE ICONS INSTEAD OF BULLET POINTS (WITHIN REASON)

TRY DOWNLOADING !

FREE FONTS

ONLINE

1. Many designers publish fonts online for free. Just search “free fonts,” browse until you find something that fits your theme or topic, and then download the .ttf or .otf file 2. Once you’ve downloaded the font file, double-click on the file in your directory and select the “install font” option 3. You have to exit and restart word for a new font to be usable

When presenting information in stack words in separate boxes, and size each level separately so that the edges of the “stack” line up. This helps maintain symmetry and balance

Yellow evokes optimism, lightness and positivity. Could be used when discussing the potential benefits of a program or policy Blue has been shown to be associated with dependability, trustworthiness, and constancy. Blue is often used in corporate designs Green is seen as neutral and unthreatening, although research shows that the shade of green impacts its effects

COLORS

Gray and Black tend to be viewed as institutional, formal, traditional and are necessary in an infographic to prevent other colors from overwhelming the design

Red has been proven to create a sense of urgency, or excitement. In Infographics, it is most often used to draw attention to problems Orange is seen as an aggressive color, and is most effective when a designer wants to elicit an action or strong emotional response

COLORS AND FONTS can help categorize parts of an infographic. For example:

ISSUE EVIDENCE

ACTION

LEAGUE GOTHIC (FREE ONLINE), RED

WORD’S FORMAT PICTURE TOOL IS EXTREMELY USEFUL FOR RECOLORING ICONS, GRAPHS, CHARTS AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU MIGHT NEED:

AVENIR LIGHT, ALL CAPS, GRAY LEAGUE GOTHIC, ORANGE

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GRAPHS, CHARTS, AND ICONS SHOULD USE THE SAME COLOR SCHEME AS TEXT IN AN INFOGRAPHIC 1. To add charts from Excel to an infographic, use the screenshot tool to capture the graph made,

2. Next, go to format picture > remove background and adjust the boundaries of the box until the entire graph or chart is selected (not highlighted in purple)

2. Then, insert the screenshot and use the format picture > crop tool to crop out the images background

3. Finally, use the format picture > recolor tool to make the graph fit your color scheme:

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