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Creating Infographics

with Canva

Digital Integration Teaching Initiative

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Workshop Agenda

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  • Learn about dynamic and static modes of conveying information.
  • Review best practices of visualizing data.
  • Explore how to make visualizations using Canva, a free online tool.
  • Consider accessibility in designing presentations and infographics.

For more information, please see:

https://bit.ly/infographicshandout

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SDG Report 2020

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Infographics

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Infographics Basics 1/2

  • Infographics present complex information quickly and clearly.
  • They tell a story with structure and sequence, and are most often images combined with numbers, charts, graphs, and summary text.
  • They concisely convey information and data to different audiences across platforms and media (i.e., digital or print).

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Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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Infographics Basics 2/2

  • They have narrow focus or subject matter, short and accessible titles, and provide citations for all of the information included.
  • They consider accessibility: Make sure text is not cut off or covered by image, add descriptive alt-text to your infographic image.

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For more information on accessibility, please see: DITI accessibility handout

Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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Infographics Examples

Northeastern University College of Professional Studies

Education First

History.com & Column Five

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Keep it Visible: Colors

  • Make color choices that are accessible to everyone (and appropriate for the presentation).
  • Ideal color schemes are high contrast (use a contrast checker).
  • Think about limiting your palette (3 colors can be effective).
  • Find complementary colors (e.g. this tool).
  • NU Colors provides the Northeastern University palette.

Visme Blog

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Data Privacy

  • It’s important to pay attention to data privacy when using digital resources
  • At its simplest, data privacy is a person’s ability to control what of their personal information is shared and with whom.
  • To help you make informed decisions about interacting with digital tools in ways that honor your boundaries with your data and/or personal information, The DITI has prepared a handout on Data Privacy

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Getting Started with Canva

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Sign up/Login

  • Canva is a free online infographic maker.
  • Use your Gmail/Facebook/Apple ID to sign up or create an account.
  • Click “Create A Design.”

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Starting Up...

  • First, pick your canvas dimensions. Canva features a curated ‘infographic’ size, but you can customize the width and length when opening a new graphic. You can also add more ‘pages.’
    • Unfortunately, resizing and adding pages in an already existing graphic is only available in paid subscriptions.
  • Infographics work best when presenting information through one direction, so it might help to size your canvas as being long either vertically or horizontally.

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Pick a Style

  • Infographics work best when presented in a uniform style.
  • Try to get your information and your design to work together!
  • If you need some help or inspiration, Canva offers several infographic templates you can start from.

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Layers

  • Canva works by combining several graphic layers.
  • Layers can be anything that shows up on the canvas—elements, charts, text, etc.—and can be customized in many ways. You can drag them around, change their colors, resize them, and more!
  • Remember that you can always send a layer ‘forward’ or ‘back’ relative to other layers with a right click on PC, control click on Macs (or use the key commands shown at right) →

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Alt-Text

  • Alt-text is a description of an image that conveys the image’s content and meaning. This descriptive text is attached to the image’s file properties.
  • People with low or no vision can use assistive technology like screen readers to hear the alt-text description of digital images. When a screen reader reaches the image, it will read the alt-text description out loud.

Based on : Microsoft’s How to write effective alt-text

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Adding Alt-Text

  • You can export your infographic as an image and then add alt-text.

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  • Find the image in your file directory.
  • On PC: Right-click the image and select ‘Properties.’ Choose the ‘Details’ tab and click on the ‘Title’ field.
  • On Mac: Control-click the image and select ‘Get Info’ on Macs, then edit the ‘Comments’ field.
  • Write a description of and insights from your infographic.

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Based on : Microsoft’s How to write effective alt-text

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Canva Next Steps: Animations, Transitions, and Audio/Video

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Adding Animation Effects

  • There are multiple types of animations in Canva.
  • To use animations, click on and select the feature you want to animate.
  • Click on ‘Animate’ in the top menu, and review the types of Text Animations on the left-hand side of the screen. Hover your cursor over each type to preview how it looks.
  • Page Animations apply the effect to all of the features on the slide.

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Adding Slide Transitions

  • Slide transitions animate the movement from one slide to the next.
  • To use transitions in Canva, click on the three dots that pop up above the slide in the preview deck at the bottom of the screen.
  • Click ‘Add transition’ and review the options on the left side of the screen. Hover your cursor over each option to preview the transition effect.
  • Once you choose a slide transition, Canva will let you adjust the duration and direction of the transition.

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Use Audio/Video for Impact

  • You can upload audio from your computer or record your own audio within Canva under the Uploads tab. Canva also has free audio and video you can use under the Elements tab.
  • You can upload a video saved to your computer or link to an online video using the Canva Apps tab, which connects to YouTube and other platforms.
  • Once you add in the audio or video to the Canva presentation, you can click on it to customize audio and video effects.

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More Tips & Info to Consider:

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Build a coherent argument or narrative

  • Treat your infographic like any other form of argument, explanation, or narrative—be intentional, and organize your points chronologically or as ordered steps in a process.
  • Put main ideas front-and-center, and consider having your points progress down orders of importance.
  • Use signposts or sections to orient your audience, i.e. pairing each point with numbers, shifting color gradients, etc.

Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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Some more tips

  • Draw up an outline or storyboard before you build the graphic.
  • Have a specific and clear title.
  • Use carefully-proofed syntax and vocabulary, and explain terms/jargon.
  • Have proper citations.
  • Don’t mix too many visual types within your infographic. Keep a consistent font, color scheme, animation effects, design, formatting, etc.
  • Limit text—keep negative space for the graphical component.

Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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Infographic Formats 1/2

  • Static infographics:
    • Typically fixed information a still image.
  • Motion infographics:
    • Typically fixed information. Display output is animated, or moving.

“Biology of ventilation,” tapletopwhale.com

Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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Infographic Formats 2/2

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Interactive infographics:

    • Can be fixed or dynamic information input.
    • User interaction consists of searching for specific data, actively shaping the content displayed, and choosing which information is accessed and visualized.

From “The New New York Skyline,” National Geographic

Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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For Further Consideration: Accurately Representing Data in Visuals and Infographics

―Developed in collaboration with BARI

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Data Presentation Tips

  • Create your own tables, or make sure to use only images that are shared with permissions that support reuse—and always cite your sources!
  • Be sure to present your data accurately—be mindful that your charts, graphs, maps, and infographics are scaled and structured to present data and conclusions completely and correctly.
  • Use visual representations of numbers—this will help concretize abstract concepts.
  • Label judiciously, but don’t overwhelm the viewer with dense text.
  • Beware of trying to make too many points in one graphic—focus on the big takeaways.

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Limitations of Some Data Presentation Methods: Charts, Graphs, Diagrams, Maps

  • The structure and scale of charts and graphs could be manipulated to amplify or diminish differences.
  • Different types of graphs and charts work better for some types of data than others—for example, a pie chart and a line graph might not both be able to represent the same data accurately.
  • A chart with too much information will be difficult to understand, but too little information could be an indication that data has been cherry-picked to support an argument.
  • There is limited space in an infographic for in-depth analysis; nuances can be flattened and obfuscated.

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Misrepresentation of Data

From D.B. Resnik, in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2001: “The concept of ‘misrepresentation,’ unlike ‘fabrication’ and ‘falsification,’ is neither clear nor uncontroversial. Most scientists will agree that fabrication is making up data and falsification is changing data. But what does it mean to misrepresent data? As a minimal answer to this question, one can define ‘misrepresentation of data’ as ‘communicating honestly reported data in a deceptive manner.’”

This online book from The Data School covers some common ways data could be misrepresented at multiple points in the process of gathering, analyzing, and presenting findings on data-based research.

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Limitations of Charts, Diagrams, Graphs, & Maps

Consider these questions as you review the examples in this section:

  • What commonalities do you notice among the more misleading and more accurate versions of graphs and charts in these examples?
  • How would you define “accuracy” in the context of data presentation? Why is that question essential to ask?
  • In what contexts does it make the most sense to use these kinds of visuals to present data? Are there other times where they’re inappropriate? How so?

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Misleading axis representation

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Misleading data and graph selection

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Misleading map representations

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For Further Exploration

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DITI infographics handout

DITI accessibility handout

DITI data privacy handout

NULab Meet the Method: Canva

See also the Beginner’s Guide, published by Canva

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Feel free to ask questions at any point during the presentation!

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Thank you!

Developed by DITI Research and Teaching Fellows: Emily Sullivan, Zhen Guo, Claire Lavarreda, Carlos Arriaga Serrano, Kasya O’Connor Grant, Dipa Desai, and Javier Rosario

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