Table Of Content

Infographics For Dummies® Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. 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Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Conventions and Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part I: Getting Started with Infographics Chapter 1: Unlocking the Power of Infographics Recognizing the Value of Visuals So You Want to Be an Infographic Designer Filling Your Toolbox Assembling Your Team Using internal resources Going with the professionals Working with Decision Makers Chapter 2: Exploring Infographics Establishing Your Voice Promoting with brand infographics Educating with informational editorial infographics Working with Infographics Identifying what makes an infographic Sticking with what works Become a subject matter expert Considering possibilities beyond the static infographic Predicting the Lifecycle of Infographics Timely: Sharing breaking news Related: Telling a relevant tale Evergreen: Letting things build Engaging Viewers with Animation and Motion Bringing infographics to life with motion and sound Creating an interactive infographic experience Chapter 3: Designing Your Approach to Infographics Establishing a Work Process Deciding on your eventual output Gathering data Create narrative and flow Develop and refine your visual plan Build artwork and visuals Refine artwork and ensure accuracy Getting your project approved Sharing your creation with your audience Assembling the Tools of the Trade Lining up your technology tools Gathering a work force Building professional relationships Developing Design Principles Balance Hierarchy Unity Proportion Color Fonts Respecting Brand Guidelines Using recommended fonts Working with logos Working with colors Using copy guidelines Outlining the Approval Process Part II: Starting with Data Chapter 4: Informing Yourself Determining Your Infographic’s Thesis Thinking of the infographic’s main points Calling out a call-to-action Appealing to the Target Audience Complexity Density Appearance Getting the Logistics Printing considerations Web dimensions Type point (size) Chapter 5: Gathering Your Data Searching Online Doing simple Google searches Refining your Google searches Finding Additional Sources Discovering government databases Using company resources Reading company reports Reaching out to experts Placing It All Together Getting back to your thesis Citing your sources Chapter 6: Discovering the Story Analyzing and Organizing Your Information Looking for trends Employing comparisons Thinking about history Finding the outliers Recognizing patterns Thinking of a Narrative Creating a flow Writing copy Part III: Depicting with Delightful Design Chapter 7: Creating Wireframes and Managing Mood Boards Outlining Your Wireframe The title: Creating the viewer’s first impression The introduction: Presenting your most important data The body: Building the content of your infographic The call-to-action: Drawing a strong conclusion Editing Your Story Clarifying the “big idea” Conceptualizing an overall layout Visualizing transitions Mapping your illustrations Blocking: Creating a visual roadmap Working with Fonts Choosing text styles Following the three-font rule Putting Your Mood Board to Work Working with mood boards in the digital age Chapter 8: Designing Around a Theme Matching Visuals to Your Topic Following Brand Guidelines Using guidelines for logos, color, and font Working with your client’s specifications Designing a Custom Style Creating color palettes Feeling out the right fonts Including illustrations Testing out textures and patterns Finding Inspiration Chapter 9: Designing Infographics in Adobe Illustrator Setting Up Illustrator Navigating the workspace Working with toolbars and palettes Determining the essentials Mastering Illustrator Basics Using the Selection and Direct Selection tools Maximizing the Pen tool Placing a text box Changing fonts with the Type tool Using the Direct Selection tool Grouping objects Discovering the beauty of the Brush tool Getting geometric with the Shape tool Making charts and graphs with the Graph tool Using the Eyedropper tool Adding icons with the Symbols tool Using the Pathfinder tool to create shapes Editing paths with the Eraser tool Experimenting with Illustrator Effects Gaining contrast with a gradient Building depth with the Blend tool Creating dynamic graphics with a warp Joining objects with a compound path Cropping illustrations with clipping masks Importing sketches into Illustrator to use as a template Chapter 10: Designing Infographics in Photoshop Getting Started with Photoshop Labeling layers Using folders and groups Learning the Basic Photoshop Tools Selection tools Drawing tools Transformation tools Type tools Photographic tools Changing Fonts with Character Styles Creating Boundaries with Layer Masks and Clipping Paths Building a layer mask by cropping Using layer masks to hide or reveal selected parts of an image Creating a clipping path Making Your Graphics Pop Creating depth with blend modes Changing colors with a color overlay Giving graphics depth: gradients, bevels, and satin Showcasing elements with shadows Managing Your Workflow Copying style effects from one layer to another Using effects sparingly Chapter 11: Expanding Your Tools and Techniques Starting Your Project with Illustrator Opening Photoshop Files in Illustrator Using Illustrator Graphics in Photoshop Scaling between Programs Discovering the Benefits of a Smart Object Working with Smart Filters Determining which Program Works Best for Your Needs Graphing Detailed icons Patterns Type manipulation Working with Other Design Tools Microsoft programs Infogr.am Easel.ly Creative Market Part IV: Ready to Distribute Chapter 12: Launching Your Infographic Deciding Where to Publish Publishing Infographics on the Web Determining the right size Creating filenames that generate traffic Using appropriate keywords Introducing readers to the infographic Making the most of your space Sharing Your Work Providing social share buttons on the page Giving out an embed code Chapter 13: Promoting Your Infographic Collecting Influencers Getting prepared to go viral Building a list of influencers Organizing your list of influencers Putting Your Plan in Place Building relationships Offering exclusives Using social media Determining When to Pitch Targeting influencers at the best time Timing your social media shares Part V: The Part of Tens Chapter 14: Ten Infographics Trends to Follow Adding Interactive Features to Your Graphics Placing information on different pages Letting the reader choose Using Video or Animation in Graphics Designing for Tablets Using Data to Drive Your Project Developing Graphics for Market Research