Overview
Infographics (or information graphics) tell a story about a topic using one or several data visualizations with other visual complements. Infographics can include text, graphs, charts, diagrams, tables, maps, lists, and other forms of data visualization. The goals of infographics are varied, with some intended to provide information, others intended to persuade or call the audience to action. Typically, infographics are designed for viewing on digital devices (phones/tablets) and displayed on social media. As a result, many infographics are oriented vertically to take advantage of the scrolling interface these devices and platforms use, but not all infographics use this layout.
Canva:
This online program has a free option as well as paid subscriptions. On the free tier, users can create visual designs using text, photos, icons, and illustrations. Uploading your own images and illustrations to a Canva project is always free. It is important to note that there are limited built-in ways to generate visualizations
Piktochart:
This is another online tool for creating charts, maps, and graphs. Data uploaded to a Piktochart project can be plugged into various kinds of visualization formats, such as traditional charts or iconographic visuals. There is a free account tier available, as well as paid subscriptions with more features. The free account tier limits collaboration
BioRender:
This is an online tool to help scientists create and share beautiful, professional scientific figures. There is a free tier for educational use, as well as paid individual and lab pricing. The free account tier only allows for 5 active projects at a time and does not provide permission to publish in journals.
Adobe Illustrator:
This software is available to UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff via all computer lab machines. With layers and alignment tools, plus the ability to create and manipulate vector graphics, this is a good alternative for creating infographics from scratch if you know or have time to learn the software.