Tips for Creating Effective Animated Infographics

Animated infographics can be a powerful tool for conveying complex information in a visually appealing and engaging way, allowing for better comprehension and retention. Here are some tips for creating effective animated infographics and samples demonstrating these concepts:

Presentation basics: the time-tested tenets for formal presentations work for animated infographics as well: know your audience, keep it simple (one concept at a time), use simple language (avoid jargon as much as possible), and keep on-screen reading to a minimum.

Example: Strava // Year In Sport by Giant Ant 

Color and Appearance

Make your point: have your storyboards emphasize your point simply and clearly. Be bold. Charts, icons, and textual data should be large and in charge. Use color to make your point pop.

Example: Oil’d by Chris Harmon

Animation and Motion

Consider using a voice-over or lower thirds to help explain and strengthen concepts: your animation communicates more clearly, and the audience will better retain the information by experiencing it both visually and in a word-based manner.

Example: NTT Data by Colin Jackson > click the Load More button > scroll to NTT Data

Use visual metaphors: a standard for motion design, visual metaphors can help illustrate complex concepts in a more intuitive way. Also, visual metaphors are great for creating clever connections between story elements.

Example: Jack Ryan Season 2 Opening Titles

Timeline Navigation

Divide a process or idea into phases and build the animation one transition at a time: Video is primarily a scanning modality, and this approach guides an audience along a thought process or series of results, which makes the content snackable.

Example: Artolution Timeline by Pentagram

The medium is the message: use animation to visually illustrate concepts and ideas that may be difficult to explain in words alone. Animations can help demonstrate processes, show cause-and-effect relationships succinctly, and aid comprehension of complex charts.

Example: Keplertek | AI & Robotics Ecosystem