10 infographic layouts and when to use each

Choose the infographic layout that matches the shape of your content. A list with an order wants stacked cards. Equal items want a grid. Steps in time want a timeline. Two sides want a comparison. InfographicHQ, an AI infographic maker, draws 10 named layouts and suggests one for your topic.

What are the types of infographic layout?

There are ten common infographic layouts: stacked list, grid, columns, timeline, comparison, pyramid, funnel, cycle, roadmap and hub.

Layout	Use it for	Cards on InfographicHQ
Stacked	Lists and tips, in order	Up to 10
Grid	Types or groups of equal weight	Up to 8
Columns	Phases and pillars, side by side	Up to 6
Timeline	Steps in order	Up to 6
Comparison	Two or three sides	2 or 3
Pyramid	Ranked levels	Up to 6
Funnel	Stages that narrow	Up to 6
Cycle	A loop that repeats	Up to 6
Roadmap	A journey	Up to 8
Hub	One idea, many parts	Up to 6

A Short infographic holds up to 3 cards whatever the layout. Wide 16:9 holds up to 8 and Square 1:1 up to 6. You pick Stacked, Grid, Timeline, Comparison or Pyramid yourself. InfographicHQ chooses the others when your topic fits, or you can start from an example in that layout or describe a one-off layout in a phrase.

Stacked cards: for a list with an order

Use a stacked list when the reader should go through the items in order: a ranked list, a short process, a set of tips. A stacked list is wide cards running down the page, numbered from top to bottom.

Avoid it when the items have very little to say. Wide cards with two words in them look empty; a grid will serve you better.

Grid: for items of equal weight

Use a grid for parallel items of equal weight: habits, principles, tools, roles. A grid is cards of the same size in two columns. An even number fills the grid cleanly.

Avoid it when the order is the point. A grid has a weaker sense of sequence than a stack or a timeline, because the eye can travel across or down.

Columns: for a few things side by side

Use columns for two to four items with the same kinds of facts about each. Columns are tall cards side by side, each in its own colour. InfographicHQ fits up to six, and five or six wrap into two rows. Keep the rows parallel, so the second point in every column answers the same question.

Timeline: for steps and stages

Use a timeline when the content has a before and an after: a plan, a customer journey, a history. A timeline is numbered markers on a line with a card at each. On InfographicHQ up to four steps run across the page, and five or six run down it.

Put the time in the headings, such as "Months 1 to 3", "Week one" or "After launch", so the line has something to measure.

Avoid it when the items are not really sequential. A timeline of five unrelated tips implies an order that is not there, and readers will look for a logic that does not exist.

Comparison: for two or three sides

Use a comparison for a decision or a contrast: two methods, before and after, myth and fact. A comparison is two panels side by side, described with the same points in the same order. InfographicHQ allows a third side.

Avoid it when one side is a straw man. A comparison where one panel is all drawbacks reads as an advert.

Pyramid, funnel, cycle, roadmap and hub: when the shape carries the meaning

• A pyramid is stacked tiers, widest at the bottom, with a card beside each. Use it for ranked levels.
• A funnel narrows from top to bottom in numbered stages. Use it for stages that narrow.
• A cycle is cards around a circle, joined by arrows into one loop. Use it for a process that repeats.
• A roadmap is a winding road with numbered milestones. Use it for a journey.
• A hub is one central picture with cards around it. Use it for one idea with many parts.

A quick way to decide

1. Two or three sides? Comparison.
2. Steps in time? Timeline, or a roadmap for a journey.
3. A loop that repeats? Cycle.
4. Stages that narrow? Funnel.
5. Ranked levels? Pyramid.
6. One idea with many parts? Hub.
7. A list with an order? Stacked.
8. Equal items? Grid, or columns for two to four.

If two layouts both seem to fit, choose the one with more room per item.

Can an infographic include a chart?

Yes, on a paid plan. InfographicHQ can add one chart under the cards: up to six of your own numbers as bars, a donut or progress bars, drawn in code exactly from the figures you type. It needs the Portrait format and the Short or Standard length, and an infographic with a chart holds up to 5 cards.

For a trend line or anything larger, use a charting tool.

Layout is the last decision, not the first

Write the outline first, and the layout follows from the shape of the sections. InfographicHQ's draft arrives with a suggested layout and colours, and you can change either before anything is drawn.

If you have not outlined yet, read How to structure an infographic and How many words should an infographic have? You can see finished examples, or try it free with your own topic.

Common questions

Timeline or roadmap: which should you use?

Use a timeline for steps or stages in order. Use a roadmap when the steps are a journey with a clear start and finish, such as onboarding or a launch.