The list you wrote,
in a form people save.
Top tens, checklists, key takeaways and tips. Paste the bullets and get them numbered, shortened to headlines that fit, and ranked in an order you can defend.
Make a list sheetFive rules
Making an infographic
that works
- 1
Lead with the finding, not the topic
Titles are the only part everyone reads
- 2
One argument per sheet
Three arguments is three sheets
- 3
Make the biggest thing the point
Size is the fastest signal you have
- 4
Spend colour on meaning
Decoration costs the reader nothing but time
- 5
Design for the phone
Most of your audience is holding one
Illustrative · portrait sheet
The only hard part
Why is item one item one?
Readers accept a ranking or they dismiss the whole sheet. Pick your ordering deliberately, and where the ordering is a judgement rather than a measurement, say so on the sheet.
| Order | Use it when | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| By size | The items are measurable — traffic, cost, share, time. | The safest ordering there is, because the reader can check it. |
| By sequence | The items happen in an order — a checklist, a method. | Then it is really a process sheet, and should look like one. |
| By impact | You are ranking on judgement rather than measurement. | Say so on the sheet. “Ranked by our team” is honest; silent ranking reads as data. |
| By surprise | A takeaway list, where the least expected point should lead. | Strong for social, weak for reference — nobody can find item seven again. |
| Alphabetically | Almost never. | Alphabetical order is the absence of an editorial decision, and readers feel it. |
How long a list should be
- 3–5
- Reads in a glance. The right length for a feed post or a slide.
- 6–8
- A proper sheet. Portrait shape, one line of detail per item.
- 10
- The classic top ten. Use the long-page shape and group them five and five.
- 15+
- Not an infographic. Make it a page, and make a sheet of the best five that links to it.
Questions
What should I paste in?
Bullet points, a numbered list, a blog post that contains one, or the document the list came from. It will shorten each item to a headline and keep one line of supporting detail.
Will it keep my ordering?
Yes if your input is already ordered. If you paste something unordered it will propose an order, and you can change it with a sentence.
Can it add icons to each item?
Items carry numbers and rules rather than decorative icons. An icon per row on a ten-item list usually adds ten small pictures that each mean nothing, and costs the space the labels needed.
Can I make a checklist people tick off?
You can make a printable checklist sheet — export a PDF and it prints at any size. It is a document rather than an interactive form.
Is this good for social?
It is one of the best-performing formats there. Choose square or portrait, keep it to five or six items, and put the strongest one first because that is the one shown in a preview crop.
Can I turn one long list into a set of sheets?
Yes, and for anything over ten items that reads better: a sheet per group, all in the same palette, posted as a set.