The Science Behind Infographics: How and Why They Can Change Our World

When working on any kind of project that is rooted in policy, advocacy and impact, delivering meaningful change that improves our world for the better is the ultimate goal. Yet in a world of more than 8 billion people (and counting), where huge and increasingly urgent issues from climate change to education are all clamouring for funding and action, how do you make your mission and purpose stand out in the crowd? And in the social media era, where attention spans grow increasingly limited, how do you grab hold of your audience and deliver content that will stay with them for longer than 8 seconds?

National governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) really have their work cut out for them. Not only do they have to surmount these already difficult challenges, but the high-stakes projects and initiatives they are trying to communicate come with a lot of informational baggage. There are volumes of complicated data, long and inaccessible reports, and technical jargon that quite literally gets lost in translation for projects on an international scale. 

But there is a solution: infographics can transform dense information into meaningful, visual narratives, helping you reach the right audiences, in the right way, at the right time.

What is an Infographic and How Does It Work?

An infographic is a visual representation of information and data that is designed to make a complex subject easier to understand and process. They can adopt many forms and layouts that normally include the following:

• Data Visualisation: from graphs and charts to bold statistics and diagrams, infographics turn confounding datasets into meaningful representations of trends, comparisons and relationships.
• Engaging Imagery: illustrations and icons help to provide more context and explanation, also helping to keep the data highly visual and accessible for every audience member.
• Clever Uses of Colour: the best infographics use colour to draw the eye, direct focus and make the messaging truly pop.
• Clear Messaging: when you can’t use pages and pages of explanation, you are forced to drive to the heart of your research and find the words that really matter.

Most audiences, from busy policymakers to grassroots activists, are flooded with so many reports, whitepapers and datasets that they simply don’t have time to digest them all. As a more immediate and accessible bridge between complex data and human understanding, it’s easy to see why infographics are so appealing. 

Because when crafted with thought, purpose and intention, an infographic becomes so much more than just a design asset. 

The Benefits of Using Infographics to Drive Change

Driving change is a hard and complicated business. Not only are you often trying to translate difficult data and information into something understandable and actionable, but you are trying to communicate to an audience who range widely in their knowledge, experience and understanding.

We’ve seen this firsthand. A lot of our work starts at the end of a long process; months, years or even decades of research, culminating in 100+ page technical reports. These reports are full of vital insight for policymakers or funders, but getting them to engage with such a large amount of dense information when time is tight and the stakes are high is a monumental challenge. This is where we come in. We work closely with clients to pull out what really matters and build one strong visual that brings it all together. 

With so many other organisations competing for attention alongside you, it’s important to leverage everything you’ve got. The human brain loves visual data, processing images 60,000 times fast than text. In fact, 90% of the information that gets transmitted to the brain is visual. A picture truly is worth a thousand words, and with the right infographic design you can make sure none of those words are left to misinterpretation. It’s not about oversimplifying your research and evidence – it’s about creating something clear and meaningful that people can share, talk about, and act on.

Just some of the huge benefits of using infographics include:

• Clarity: with a cleverly considered and designed infographic, you can transform multi-layered data and nuanced issues into understandable narratives.
• Emotional Impact: visual communication goes hand in hand with emotional communication – combining iconography, typography and strategic layout makes people care about what they’re seeing.
• Accessibility: infographics can bridge literacy gaps and cross language barriers, reaching diverse audiences and communities with much more ease.
• Transparency: sharing the big and important issues of our world with as wide an audience possible ensures that everyone can be a part of the conversation.
• Shareability: once created, infographics can have huge and varied uses – they can form posters and factsheets, be powerful tools in policy briefs and presentations, dominate a busy webpage or go viral on social media.
• Engagement: a well-designed visual is more likely to be remembered, shared and acted-upon, truly driving the essential actions that make meaningful change. 

With all these benefits, infographics have a valuable role to play in driving social and environmental change. From scientists and researchers to activists and campaigners, infographics can deliver significant when used for:

• Climate & Environmental Reports: simplify complex ecological data and illustrate concerning climate trends to raise awareness and urgency.
• Policy Briefing: distil key messages and statistics into visual summaries that help decision-makers to take action when and where it matters most.
• Public Health Education: break down important health risks, behaviours and prevention strategies into visual campaigns that inform and protect communities.
• Advocacy Campaigns: create emotional and compelling visuals that mobilise public support and highlight key calls to action.
• Community Outreach: reach diverse audiences by making local issues and solutions more relatable and accessible.
• Annual Reports & Donor Communication: showcase impact and progress with transparency and engaging content that helps your mission grow into the future.

Be aware that in all of these situations, an infographic is not the end of the story. The pages and megabytes of research, data and reports that have been its fuel are not to be left languishing in a dark corner of the internet or an archive. The most important thing from a successful infographic is you’ve captured attention and delivered the vital message. Now your audience will want to dig deeper, to trust and verify. So be ready to have compelling reports available for policy makers, funders and the general public to present your evidence and drive your message home.

How to Design a Compelling Infographic

Now you know why you need to use infographics; the next big question is how to create one. Transforming complex information into simple solutions is our specialty. We’ve honed our processes and nurtured our talent for over 25 years to deliver infographics that cross sectors, applications and continents. Our clients include some of the world’s most recognisable organisations and brands, with our work under discussion among world leaders and at headline-making events, including COP27.

Our approach to creating infographics is to always align strategy with creativity. When your word count and canvas are limited, every element must have meaning and your narrative needs to be tight. You need to help the audience navigate from problem to resolution without external facilitation. You also need to make sure it’s captivating, on-brand and matches the appropriate format and application (what works on a poster, may not work on a website, or your social media).

Our approach always starts with three simple questions: What’s the key message? Who needs to understand it? And what will help them act on it? These guide every design decision we make.

This is how we approach it:

1. Client Meeting: You’re the expert when it comes to your work. Before we start to conceptualise any ideas, we meet with you to learn about your organisation, your purpose and to set the goals and objectives to underpin your project.
2. Thorough Research: Using all the methods at our disposal, we take the time to fully research your sector and competitors. Combining our findings with your objectives, we create a series of moodboards to illustrate the different directions we can take for a high quality and unique design.
3. First Sketches: Once you’ve chosen your preferred direction, we create as many concepts based on that moodboard as possible. Your requirements and goals underpin our decisions on which concepts to take to the next level.
4. Concept Development: We take the key concepts and start to expand them. Here we stress test across platforms and channels to find which concepts are most resilient, finding perfect harmony with your brand, organisation and objectives.
5. Valuable Feedback: We present the key concepts to you, explaining how it aligns with your needs and why it would be successful. You provide your feedback for each concept and let us know which resonates best and why. Using your feedback, we perform revisions as required to develop the finalised designs.
6. Deliver & Launch: Once we have your full and final approval, we package up and send you the files in all the agreed formats, so you can launch an engaging and effective campaign, or deliver a compelling and informative publication.

Designing Infographics for Global Change

When we work with IGOs and NGOs, we know they’re often under pressure to deliver clarity fast to funders, field partners, and policymakers alike. What they need isn’t just a great-looking visual, it’s a tool that does a job: communicates complex information clearly, stays true to the data, and works across a range of channels, from formal policy briefs to social media. We design with that in mind from day one making sure everything we create is usable, adaptable, and grounded in what really matters.

For projects and campaigns that transcend borders and communities, there are even more considerations to be made. Firstly, there are the practical matters; any infographic we design must be easily translatable, must use iconography that is globally recognised, must adapt to multiple literacy levels and can be effectively used in both centralised campaigns and community outreach initiatives. These are all essential tools for IGOs & NGOs who might be operating or distributing the infographic across multiple contexts and platforms.

In addition, however, are a set of values that become amplified on a world stage. While we still factor these into every infographic design project, no matter how big or small, global scrutiny underpins just how important these matters are:

• Sustainability: climate change affects us all, so the entire lifecycle of your content is considered, from digital carbon footprint to print production and usage.
• Ethical Data: we will never distort data or impose any bias – all our visuals present truth and clarity.
• Accessibility: we can only drive real change when the conversation is inclusive, so the end user is always priority over aesthetics. That’s why we design with colour contrast in mind, minimise cognitive overload, and ensure graphics can work with screen readers or alternate formats when needed.
• Collaboration: we’ve been trusted by high-profile IGOs, NGOs and global institutions to combine our expertise with theirs and deliver beyond expectations. 

Sustainability and social consciousness are built into our business model, ensuring these values are never overlooked. This approach has granted us amazing opportunities to work with like-minded clients who are transforming the world around us for the better. We are always proud to see them thrive, raising important and sometimes difficult conversations among some of the most powerful individuals, governments and organisations in the world. And when we see our work up there alongside them? That’s the reason our whole team turn up to work every day. It’s our purpose.

The Universal Power of Visual Storytelling

Data alone doesn’t change the world – great communication does. No matter how vital your research, how urgent your findings, or how compelling your mission, the impact won’t be felt if you can’t share it effectively with the right people at the right time in the right way. 

Infographics are more than just a way to make information “look nice.” They are a strategic tool that allows you to traverse boundaries, transcend language, and transform complexity into clarity. They bridge the gap between what we know and what others need to understand to take action. Whether you’re advocating for environmental reform, delivering life-saving health education, or influencing global policy, infographics ensure your message doesn’t get lost in the noise – it rises above it.

At a time when attention is scarce but the need for impact is greater than ever, visual storytelling becomes not just powerful, but essential.

Let us help you tell your story. Get in touch and work with us on your next infographic project. Together we can create visuals that don’t just inform, but truly inspire change.