How to structure an infographic in 6 steps

To structure an infographic, decide four things in words before you design anything: one idea, a title that states it, three to six sections that each make one point, and a closing line that tells the reader what to do next. If the outline does not work as plain text, no layout will rescue it.

The five parts of an infographic

An infographic has five parts: a title, a subtitle, a set of sections, a closing line and a footer.

Part	Its job	Length that works
Title	States the one idea	Up to 48 characters on InfographicHQ
Subtitle	One sentence of context	Up to 90 characters on InfographicHQ
Sections	One point each: a heading, a framing line, two or three points	Three to six sections
Closing line	Sums up, or says what to do next	One sentence
Footer	Says who made it and where to find them	One line and a web address

Start with one sentence

The one idea is the single sentence a reader should be able to repeat after ten seconds with your infographic. It is a takeaway, not a topic. "Remote onboarding" is a topic. "A new remote hire needs four things in their first week" is a takeaway, and it has already told you the page has four sections.

If you cannot write that sentence, you have more than one infographic, or you are not ready to make one yet. Both are useful things to find out before you open a design tool.

Write a title that does the work

Write a title that carries the idea on its own, for the reader who reads nothing else. Three patterns work reliably:

• A number and a noun. "6 Habits of Clear Writers." The number promises a finite, scannable page.
• A how-to. "How a Bill Becomes Law." It promises a process with a beginning and an end.
• A plain label. "The Water Cycle." Best when the subject itself is what people are looking for.

InfographicHQ limits a title to 48 characters so it sits on one line at a size that leads the page. A subtitle of up to 90 characters carries the nuance.

How many sections should an infographic have?

Aim for three to six sections, and make every one the same kind of thing: six habits, four stages, three mistakes.

The moment one section is a habit, the next is a definition and the third is a warning, the reader has to work out the logic of the page instead of reading it.

InfographicHQ allows more where the layout has room, up to 10 cards on a stacked list. At about 170 words in the body, ten cards get about 17 words each.

Inside each section, keep the same small skeleton:

1. A heading of two to four words. It should make sense read on its own, because skimmers read only the headings.
2. One short line that frames it. A motto, a definition or a one-sentence description.
3. Two or three points. Fragments are fine. "Define a clear scope" reads faster than "You should begin by defining a clear scope for the work".

When every card has the same skeleton, the eye learns the pattern on the first card and reads the rest at speed.

Put the sections in an order that means something

Use the order your content already has: sequence, priority, grouping or contrast.

• Sequence, when step two cannot happen before step one. Number the sections and consider a timeline.
• Priority, when the first item matters most. Say so, or readers will assume the order is arbitrary.
• Grouping, when the items are equals. A grid tells the reader that nothing here outranks anything else.
• Contrast, when there are two sides. Put them next to each other, not one after the other.

The order you choose is also what decides the layout. Our guide to choosing between a list, a timeline and a comparison goes through that decision in detail.

End with a line worth remembering

End with one sentence that sums up the idea or tells the reader what to do next. "Start small, learn quickly, solve a real problem first" is a closing line. "Thanks for reading" is not. If the infographic is going on social media, this is the line people quote when they reshare it.

Keep the body to about 170 words

Keep the body to about 170 words. On InfographicHQ that is the Standard length. It feels short the first time you try it, and it is the most useful constraint in the whole process: every sentence you cannot fit is a sentence the reader would have skipped. Read more: How many words should an infographic have?

Cut in this order: adjectives and adverbs first, then anything that restates the heading, then the weakest point in each section. If it still does not fit, you have two infographics. Make two.

A six-step outline you can reuse

1. One sentence. What should the reader remember?
2. Title. A number and a noun, a how-to, or a plain label, in 48 characters or fewer.
3. Subtitle. One sentence of context.
4. Sections. Three to six, each with a short heading, a framing line and two or three points.
5. Closing line. Sum up, or say what to do next.
6. Word count. Trim the body to about 170 words.

How InfographicHQ structures an infographic

InfographicHQ is an AI infographic maker that works in this order. You type a topic or paste your notes, it writes an outline in this shape, and you can read and change every word before anything is drawn. A finished infographic takes about a minute, and your first one is free.

You can see finished examples, or make your first infographic free.

Common questions

How long should an infographic title be?

Short enough to sit on one line. InfographicHQ limits a title to 48 characters and a subtitle to 90.