What is an Infographic?

Information graphics or infographics are visual representations of information, data, or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. They are also used extensively as tools by computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians to ease the process of developing and communicating conceptual information.

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1. Decide on a suitable topic to write about.

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Try to think of it in terms of numbers, such as "7 Things to Do Before Summer Break is Over" or "97 Ways to Have Fun With Your Best Friend" as a way of inspiring you or think more broadly about topics you like and want to give a snapshot of, such as video games, movies, or music.

2. Gather a lot of ideas related to your chosen topic.

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Don't worry to begin with whether or not they make sense or fit the topic perfectly. When you have amassed a list of many things, then you can work through it and discard what doesn't look great but keep all the super things you have found. You might find you'd originally intended to make a list of 10 things but found 100 brilliant things to share instead, so stay open-minded.�Be sure to choose a few really unique, curious and interesting elements that your readers are either not likely to know yet or may only have an inkling about and appreciate you clarifying for them.

3. Choose the format or type of listicle that you're aiming to write.

There are two main approaches, namely:

�Ranking the list: You might make a judgment about the value of the items being listed, from worst to best, or deadliest, or most interesting, or least creepy, etc.

�Giving the list a theme: You might simply write about a theme of interest to you without specifying an exact order. For example, writing about school or taking a long car trip.�

4. Write down the list in the format you've chosen to follow.

Some things to consider include:�

Use an odd amount of items in the list. These apparently perform better than evenly numbered lists.[2]�

Go for prime numbers. Namely, "Three secrets to keep" or "Five things to get excited about".[2] Prime numbers likely to be useful for a listicle's purpose include: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 and 23. You can look up others if you're list is really long.�

Consider making lists that claim to be the "ultimate", "best", "top", "major", etc.[2]

5. Flesh it out.

• Add the meat to the list's bones by writing something interesting about each item in the list. It's up to you what writing style you adopt, such as witty, joking, informative, disparaging, bored, etc.
• Are photos going to be part of your list? If so, tell a story with them and ensure that they're good quality and interesting. Photos are an absolutely perfect way to match the message to the image, and may of themselves suggest to you what the list should consist of.[3] For example, a bunch of photos of grumpy camels might be turned into a listicle about dealing with grumpy friends, while a bunch of happy bunnies might suggest a listicle about carefree things to do during spring.

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