Infographics are often hailed as the perfect marriage of data and design: a visually engaging format that distills complex information into digestible insights. But in practice, many infographics fail—not because the information is wrong, but because the execution misunderstands the purpose of visual communication. When businesses rely on infographics that require a deeper narrative or explanation, or when they misuse the format entirely, the result is confusion, disengagement, or mistrust.
To create compelling, high-performing infographics, it’s crucial to understand what makes them fail, when other formats are better suited, and how to build visuals that inform, engage, and drive action.
Characteristics of Poor Infographics
Most ineffective infographics break down at one or more of these core levels:
- Misuse of Visual Tools: Charts, graphs, maps, and illustrations are the building blocks of infographic storytelling. But mismatches between data and visual type—such as using a pie chart for overlapping categories or a line graph for unrelated points—create visual confusion. Poor visual hierarchy also impairs clarity, making it difficult for the viewer to know what to focus on first.
- No Narrative Flow: A compelling infographic acts like a storyboard, guiding the audience through a sequence of insights that build toward a conclusion. Bad infographics feel like a wall of unrelated facts. Without context or sequencing, there’s no story to follow and no insight to walk away with.
- No Room for Curiosity: Great infographics don’t just answer questions—they raise new ones. A strong visual can spark curiosity that leads to further exploration, more engagement, or deeper research. A bad one attempts to be exhaustive—or worse, glosses over complexity—leaving nothing to uncover and no reason to continue the conversation.
- Overwhelming or Insufficient Data: Some infographics attempt to display everything at once, resulting in dense and unreadable layouts. Others present only a single vague statistic, giving the impression of superficiality or lack of substance. The best infographics strike a balance between depth and digestibility, offering enough insight to tell a compelling story without overloading the viewer.
- Lack of a Clear CTA: A beautiful, informative infographic still misses the mark if it doesn’t tell the reader what to do next. Whether it’s downloading a whitepaper, exploring a tool, or sharing an asset, strong infographics include a specific and relevant call to action. Weak ones leave the user at a dead end.
When Infographics Aren’t the Right Medium
Infographics excel at presenting patterns, comparisons, sequences, or processes in a quick, visual form. But they’re not always the right choice—particularly when nuance, context, or depth is required. In the following scenarios, other formats perform better:
- Articles and Blog Posts: Textual content is best for thought leadership, opinion pieces, or multi-faceted arguments. When positioning a nuanced point of view or building an SEO presence, written content is unmatched. An infographic may accompany a blog post, but it won’t substitute for one.
- Case Studies: These are story-driven narratives that require detail—about the client, the challenge, the solution, and the measurable results. While an infographic may visually represent the timeline or results, the full impact of a case study lies in its qualitative depth and credibility.
- Explainer Videos: When a concept requires movement, progression, or narration—especially for product demos, onboarding, or step-by-step instruction—a video delivers clarity in a way a static graphic cannot. Videos also engage auditory and visual learners simultaneously, increasing retention.
- Whitepapers: When your topic involves layered research, technical language, or in-depth analysis, a whitepaper provides the space to build a sustained argument or explore ramifications. While an infographic may serve as a lead-in to the whitepaper, it cannot replace the rigor or depth expected in this format.
When Infographics Make Sense
Despite their limitations, infographics are incredibly powerful when used in the right context:
- Comparisons: Showing relative performance, features, or outcomes across products, services, or categories.
- Processes: Outlining workflows, customer journeys, or step-by-step guides.
- Timelines: Visualizing evolution, milestones, or future roadmaps.
- Hierarchies: Displaying structures such as ecosystems, organizational charts, or content taxonomies.
- Data Snapshots: Highlighting a small, curated set of statistics around a topic or campaign theme.
In each of these scenarios, infographics make complex information more accessible and enable viewers to grasp high-level insights quickly.
How to Make Infographics Compelling
To maximize effectiveness, every infographic should meet four criteria:
- Action-Driven: Don’t let the insight end on the screen. Include a relevant CTA—whether it’s directing users to a deeper resource, inviting them to share, or nudging them toward a decision.
- Credible and Contextual: All data points should be cited, accompanied by sufficient contextual explanation to prevent misinterpretation. Include benchmarks, sample sizes, or source context when appropriate.
- Relevance Over Flash: Design should support comprehension, not distract from it. Select visual styles that enhance the data rather than overwhelming it.
- Structured Flow: Organize the content with a clear start, middle, and end. Use layout, typography, and design to guide the eye through a narrative.
Tip: The opportunity that truly drives an infographic is its ability to be easily shared since it’s a single image. That’s an incredible opportunity to build awareness for your brand. Following your brand’s visual designs can drive awareness and should be incorporated.
Infographics work best when they visualize complexity simply—but not simplistically. They are ideal when the goal is to distill and communicate high-level patterns, not when the topic demands exploration, nuance, or persuasion over time.
Businesses should evaluate each communication goal on its terms. If your objective is to drive awareness, frame a conversation, or summarize key findings in a way that’s engaging and easily shareable, an infographic is a smart tool. However, when the goal is depth, persuasion, or decision support, other formats—such as whitepapers, case studies, long-form articles, or videos—may be a better fit.
In short, don’t ask Should we create an infographic? Ask: What is the best format to tell this story, drive this action, or support this decision? If the answer is visual, make sure the execution lives up to the medium’s potential.
Note: This article isn’t an infographic because it wouldn’t make sense.
