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Alan Lomer

Infographics are a powerful way to communicate information in a visually appealing and engaging manner. They can be used to tell stories, explain complex concepts, or simply make data more interesting. 

To design a good infographic, you need to:

  • Be clear on what your objective for the infographic is

  • Make sure you have the relevant data to tell you story to your audience

  • Use clear and concise language to make your infographic easy to read and understand

  • Keep it simple so the audience can grasp the concept easily

Read more

Infographics are a powerful way to communicate information in a visually appealing and engaging manner. They can be used to tell stories, explain complex concepts, or simply make data more interesting. 

To design a good infographic, you need to:

  • Be clear on what your objective for the infographic is

  • Make sure you have the relevant data to tell you story to your audience

  • Use clear and concise language to make your infographic easy to read and understand

  • Keep it simple so the audience can grasp the concept easily

This course will teach you examples covering many common infographic designs. We will look at:

  • Designing an infographic that is visually appealing and easy to understand

  • Visualising your data by creating striking but simple infographics

  • Using effective typography and colour

  • How to create impactful designs from scratch directly in PowerPoint

This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to create effective and successful infographics.

Hi, I'm Alan, a presentation designer who's been using PowerPoint for over 20 years.

In this course I will to show you how you can quickly design infographics from scratch using the standard shapes, text and imagery in PowerPoint.

The examples cover:-

  • Converting pie charts to circular infographics

  • Using standard shapes to create 3d isometric layouts

  • Creating custom shapes to add depth and more complex designs

  • Designing timelines from scratch

  • Using photos in your infographics

  • Making the most out of PowerPoint maps

  • Incorporating icons and vector shapes

I hope you enjoy the course, and please get in touch with me if you have any questions.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Design an infographic that is visually appealing and easy to understand
  • Visualise your data by creating striking but simple infographics
  • Use effective typography and color
  • Create impactful designs from scratch directly in powerpoint
  • Quickly design infographics using the standard shapes, text and imagery in powerpoint
  • Convert pie charts to circular infographics
  • Use standard shapes to create 3d isometric layouts
  • Create custom shapes to add depth and more complex designs
  • Design a timeline from scratch
  • Use photos in your infographics
  • Make the most out of powerpoint maps
  • Incorporate icons and vector shapes
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Introduction

Infographics are a powerful way to communicate information in a visually appealing and engaging manner. They can be used to tell stories, explain complex concepts, or simply make data more interesting. In this course I will to show you how you can quickly design infographics from scratch using the standard shapes, text and imagery in PowerPoint.

Read more

Using a pie chart to create an impactful and adaptable infographic. If you want to show how a number of things come to together to achieve a goal or contribute to an overall end goal, then this type of infographic could work for you.

Using a pie chart for the basis of an infographic is very popular as it allows a lot of flexibility. Here I show you how to adapt it to create different examples.

In this further adaption we'll remove another section and re-style to produce a popular 4 panel example.

Let's look at another useful variation that moves away from a full circle. This layout will allow for more space to describe the main concept.

This adaption uses an arch shape and includes an impactful central photo.

In this section I will show  you how to use a pie chart to create an angular gauge chart which is often used to depict a range of values going from bad to good. I will also show you how to animate the needle to go to wherever you want on this chart.

Let's use PowerPoint's 3D functions to create this really adaptable block layer infographic. The we will use the PowerPoint tools to change shapes and apply different effects to make some nice variations.

This isometric block diagram can be used to show a step-by-step process that happens in sequential order. We'll use some basic shapes and the 3D functionality of PowerPoint to create these isometric infographics.

Let's develop this design to make this elegant isometric staircase diagram.

Here is another 3D step diagram, this time in a circular shape. We will create this infographic starting from just a basic pie chart. I will also show how to use icons, numbers and lighting to add variation once you've created the 3D shapes.

Not all Infographics need to be complex layouts. We can use the same techniques with simple layouts such as this simple table to quickly add impact and clarity.

A few simple shapes combined with some shading can create this 3D look that can add real impact to these boxes of text.

Another popular format is the timeline infographic, where events are arranged in chronological order. We will use PowerPoint shapes and icons to produce this impactful timeline inforgraphic.

Let's make another timeline graphic, this time using curved arrows to make a layout that creates space for a photo and extra text for each event. I will show how to combine shapes and add circular photos to produce this strong infographic.

Using PowerPoint's built-in maps

Here we take a vector file of a standard map of the world and style the map areas to produce a more unique look.

Using icons as a visual aid is a popular way of comparing simple facts or figures.

Here we add styles and effect to a photo to visualize a series of figures. We will use PowerPoint's stock library and image tools to make this really nice pictorial percentage chart.

When you have a nice big image, you can use it as the basis of an infographic. I'll show how to add some simple text and graphic elements to create an effective infographic.

In this example we'll use photography to add impact to your infographics.

Let's use a simple method of laying out text and adding icons to turn a standard comparision table into something much more memorable and impactful.

This toolbar helps speed up workflow considerably as some of the functions in PowerPoint are difficult to get to or find. Download my file for easy install into PowerPoint.

If you've enjoyed this course, please leave a review and if you have any feedback, please get in touch.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Teaches how to leverage PowerPoint, a widely accessible tool, to create professional-looking infographics, making it ideal for those without dedicated design software
Focuses on practical application by converting common charts like pie charts into engaging infographics, which is useful for data visualization in business settings
Explores the use of 3D functions within PowerPoint to create isometric layouts, which can add depth and visual interest to presentations and reports
Demonstrates how to design timelines from scratch, which is a valuable skill for project management and historical presentations
Requires learners to have access to PowerPoint, which may require a paid subscription depending on their current software setup

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Create high quality infographics in PowerPoint with these activities:
Review PowerPoint Basics
Reinforce your understanding of PowerPoint's interface and basic functionalities before diving into infographic design.
Browse courses on PowerPoint
Show steps
  • Open PowerPoint and explore the ribbon interface.
  • Practice creating and formatting basic shapes.
  • Experiment with text boxes, fonts, and colors.
Read 'Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations'
Learn the fundamentals of visual communication and presentation design to create more impactful infographics.
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key design principles.
  • Identify techniques applicable to infographic design.
  • Reflect on how to apply these principles in PowerPoint.
Design a Simple Infographic Mockup
Practice applying the course concepts by creating a basic infographic design in PowerPoint.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple topic for your infographic.
  • Gather relevant data and information.
  • Create a basic layout using shapes and text in PowerPoint.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Follow PowerPoint Design Tutorials
Refine your PowerPoint skills by following online tutorials focused on advanced design techniques.
Show steps
  • Search for PowerPoint tutorials on YouTube or Skillshare.
  • Select tutorials that cover topics like custom shapes and 3D effects.
  • Follow the tutorials and practice the techniques in PowerPoint.
Infographic Redesign Challenge
Apply your skills by redesigning an existing infographic to improve its clarity and visual appeal.
Show steps
  • Find a poorly designed infographic online.
  • Analyze its weaknesses and identify areas for improvement.
  • Redesign the infographic in PowerPoint using the course techniques.
  • Compare your redesigned version to the original.
Build a PowerPoint Template
Create a reusable PowerPoint template for infographics to streamline your future design projects.
Show steps
  • Design a set of master slides with different layouts.
  • Incorporate color schemes, fonts, and graphic elements.
  • Save the template for future use.
Read 'The Visual Display of Quantitative Information'
Deepen your understanding of data visualization principles to create more informative and impactful infographics.
View Beautiful Evidence on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key data visualization principles.
  • Analyze examples of good and bad data visualizations.
  • Reflect on how to apply these principles in PowerPoint infographics.

Career center

Learners who complete Create high quality infographics in PowerPoint will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Presentation Designer
A presentation designer creates visually compelling and engaging presentations, which often includes the use of infographics to convey complex information clearly. This course helps build a foundation in creating impactful infographics using PowerPoint, which is a core tool for presentation design. Learning to design clear, concise and visually appealing infographics, as taught in the course, will be beneficial to a presentation designer, who needs to create effective visuals for their presentations. The course offers techniques in converting pie charts, developing isometric layouts, and using typography and color effectively, all of which are skills essential for a presentation designer’s success. This course will enable you to create more complex and visually interesting infographics using the available tools.
Instructional Designer
An instructional designer develops educational materials and courses. Infographics are often incorporated into learning materials to make complex concepts more understandable, engaging, and memorable. This course will be invaluable for an instructional designer to learn how to design visually appealing and easy-to-understand infographics. The course's emphasis on clarity, conciseness, and effective use of typography and color is particularly relevant for instructional design, where the primary goal is effective communication of information. The course uses PowerPoint as the design tool, which is often used by instructional designers to create visually rich materials. The instructional designer will benefit from the sections of the course that include designing timelines and maps.
Communications Specialist
A communications specialist is responsible for conveying information clearly and effectively. They often use infographics to communicate complex information simply and engagingly. This course helps professionals in communications build the skillset required to design and create impactful infographics using PowerPoint. The course's emphasis on clarity, conciseness, and effective use of typography and color is particularly relevant for communication. The training on using maps, photos, and icons to enhance visual storytelling makes this course a strong choice for a communications specialist. This course will help them craft visually engaging narratives for a variety of communication needs such as reports, presentations, press releases and internal messaging. The course’s use of PowerPoint will allow for easy adoption of the skills learned.
Marketing Specialist
A marketing specialist uses a variety of visual communication tools to promote products, services, or brands, and infographics are a key part of this toolkit. This course provides a strong foundation in designing informative and visually striking infographics using PowerPoint. A marketing specialist can use this course to create engaging content for social media, websites, and presentations. Through learning how to effectively visualize data, use impactful typography, and create custom shapes, the marketing specialist gains skills to enhance the impact of marketing materials, helping in the creation of visually compelling campaigns. The course’s training in the use of photos and icons to add depth to infographics is also highly relevant to this role.
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist uses data and visual communication to promote products or services online. Infographics can be a useful tool in the digital marketing world. This course will be beneficial to a digital marketing specialist by teaching them to design data visualizations using PowerPoint. The course will equip them with the ability to develop visually appealing, easy to comprehend content for use in digital campaigns. By taking this course, the digital marketing specialist will learn how to use typography, color, and layout to create infographics. They will also learn how to use a variety of shapes, including pie charts and isometric formats to best present information. This course will also enable a digital marketing professional to generate new and engaging content for use in online platforms.
Public Relations Specialist
A public relations specialist manages the public image and communications of their clients or organizations. Infographics are valuable tools for communicating complex information in a visually appealing way for press releases and other publications. This course will enable a public relations specialist to produce impactful infographics for their organization. The course content on designing clear, concise, and engaging visuals, along with its focus on effective typography and color, will be particularly useful. The course also includes instruction in designing timelines and maps, which can be relevant for different types of content that a public relations specialist may need to produce. This course enables a public relations professional to better illustrate stories and key information in a visually appealing way.
Content Creator
A content creator produces a variety of materials for different platforms in the digital space. They often use infographics to visually communicate information in an engaging way. This course can be highly beneficial for a content creator who wishes to add more value to their communication strategy. Learning to design clear, concise and visually appealing infographics, as taught in the course, helps a content creator produce compelling visuals for blog posts, social media, and websites. The course’s focus on using effective typography and color, as well as creating impactful designs from scratch in PowerPoint, will be particularly useful for a content creator's daily work. The content creator will benefit from the examples provided, such as timeline creation and map design.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer uses visual elements to communicate messages. While they use a variety of software tools, this course offers a very specific skill set for creating infographics in PowerPoint, which can be a useful tool in certain contexts. The course helps a graphic designer build a foundation in effective visual communication, especially for data visualization, by offering methods to make clear, engaging infographics. The course’s teachings on producing striking, simple infographics, effective typography, and color use, are all useful to a graphic designer, as is the instruction on how to design timelines and maps. The course provides a valuable skillset for the creation of infographics in PowerPoint.
Report Writer
A report writer compiles and presents information in a clear and structured format. Infographics can be a key part of a report, enhancing readability and engagement by presenting data visually. This course will give the report writer a helpful skillset in creating impactful infographics. The course’s emphasis on clear and concise language, designing visually appealing graphics, and using effective typography are all important skills for anyone creating a report. Learning to convert pie charts, develop isometric layouts and use color will enable a report writer to better organize and present information. The course may prove helpful to improving visual communication in complex reports.
Business Analyst
A business analyst interprets data and presents it to stakeholders. Infographics are an often-used tool to make data more user friendly and impactful. This course can be a useful addition to a business analyst's skillset, teaching them how to create visually appealing graphics using PowerPoint. The course will teach them to effectively visualize data, use strong typography and color, and create custom shapes within the software. The course also includes learning timelines, creating maps and other infographic techniques that may be needed to present analysis to diverse audiences. The course will assist in the creation of impactful data storytelling.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager uses a variety of content to promote brands on social platforms, and infographics can be a useful tool for this end. This course may be useful to a social media manager who wants to expand their skills in creating visually engaging content. The course provides the ability to learn to create impactful infographics from scratch using PowerPoint. The course covers use of typography, color and graphic design. A social media manager may find the course helpful for increasing the quality of visual material that they generate for their social media channels. The course covers all the core concepts needed for designing infographics.
Data Visualization Specialist
A data visualization specialist transforms raw data into understandable visual formats. While this role usually utilizes specialized tools, this course provides a foundational understanding of infographic design principles and techniques, using standard shapes, text and imagery in PowerPoint. The course will assist those working with data to quickly and effectively convey information. The focus on creating striking but simple infographics, using color and effective typography to present data, makes the course a helpful starting point for someone in the data visualization field. The course also includes the creation of pie charts, timelines, and maps, which are all crucial elements for presenting data in an engaging manner. This helps build a base understanding of how data can be used in infographics.
Training Coordinator
A training coordinator develops training materials and programs within an organization. Infographics are often incorporated into training to make complex information more memorable and engaging. This course may be useful for any training coordinator who wants to enhance training materials with visual infographics. The course will assist in crafting well-designed infographics that are easy to understand. By taking this course, a training coordinator will learn how to use color, typography and layout to create engaging training tools. The training coordinator may find sections of the course that include designing timelines and maps particularly helpful for creating effective training resources. This course can help to enhance the visual quality and understanding of training documents.
Educator
An educator conveys information to students. Using infographics, educators can enhance students' understanding and engagement with the material. This course may be useful to educators to learn how to create educational infographics using PowerPoint. The course's teachings on clarity, simple language, and visual appeal are very much in line with what is needed to create effective educational materials. The course's modules on visualising data and using effective typography and color might be very helpful in creating engaging learning content. The course will help educators develop impactful methods of communicating concepts with visual material.
Project Manager
A project manager oversees projects, often needing to present information and updates to stakeholders. Infographics can be a useful addition to project communication. This course may be helpful to a project manager who wishes to visually represent project data. The course will help build a foundation in creating clear, engaging graphics using tools that may already be available to the project manager, such as PowerPoint. Specifically, the course highlights skills in designing timelines, which are essential for project management, as well as the development of other data visualization skills. Project managers may find the course useful for creating impactful reports and updates.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Create high quality infographics in PowerPoint.
Classic guide to presenting data effectively through visual means. It emphasizes clarity, precision, and integrity in data visualization. While not specific to PowerPoint, it provides a strong theoretical foundation for creating informative and persuasive infographics. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals.
Provides a comprehensive guide to creating visually compelling and effective presentations. It covers design principles, storytelling techniques, and practical tips for using visuals to enhance your message. While not specific to infographics, it provides a strong foundation in visual communication. This book is useful as additional reading to provide a strong foundation in visual communication.

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