Lesson 5: Piktochart - An Online Infographic App

**PIKTOCHART** **Piktochart** is an online infographic application which allows users without intensive experience as graphic designers to easily create professional-grade infographics using themed templates. You can **create professional-looking infographics, flyers, posters, reports, newsletters*...

**PIKTOCHART** **Piktochart** is an online infographic application which allows users without intensive experience as graphic designers to easily create professional-grade infographics using themed templates. You can **create professional-looking infographics, flyers, posters, reports, newsletters**, charts. No design experience needed. - **Origins** The idea for Piktochart was discovered in 2011, and the first version was launched in March 2012 by co-founders Goh Ai Ching and Andrea Zaggia in Penang, Malaysia.  - **Growth** By the end of 2012, Piktochart had over 170,000 users. In mid-2015, the user base had grown to over 3 million with the addition of new formats like reports, banners, and presentations. As of 2018, Piktochart had over 11 million users worldwide.  - **Seed funding**: Piktochart received a \$140,000 grant from the Malaysian government\'s Cradle Fund and raised seed funding from investors. - **New formats**: Piktochart added new formats, such as presentations, banners, and reports, which led to over 3 million users by mid-2015. - **Features** - Themed templates  - Tools to add interactive maps, charts, videos, and hyperlinks  - An AI-powered timeline infographic generator that analyzes data and generates timelines  - A graphics library with photos, illustrations, and icons  - **Use cases** Piktochart is used by designers, marketers, and others to:  - Highlight company achievements  - Track project status  - Share company milestones  - Present historical events  - Create timelines, event maps, and historical narratives *Piktochart and Canva are both drag-and-drop editors that allow you to create visuals without design experience. However, a big difference is that Piktochart is more aimed at professional users who want to visualize their content and get their message across effectively to their stakeholders.* In the 1750s, William Playfair, a Scottish inventor and engineer, is reported to have invented and published charts that included line graphics, pie charts, graphs and other forms of basic data visualizations to help people understand economic factors such as taxes, labor and product costs. ### [Fritz Kahn -The Father of Infographics](https://www.faena.com/aleph/fritz-kahn-the-father-of-infographics) Easy to share (Pros): An infographic can be pinned or shared with just one click, which is why you see them on almost every platform. (Cons): If the image is too small, the text may be unreadable, and the reader may decide to look elsewhere for the information they need. Infographics can be difficult to read. In this lesson, you will be able to: - Step1: Getting Started with Piktochart - Step 2: Pick a Template - Step 3: Design your Visual - Step 4: Share your infographic Step 1: Getting started with Piktochart --------------------------------------- As a first step: You'll need to create a Piktochart account. Thankfully, this part is easy. It's free and takes maybe 30 seconds to sign up and become a user, so it won't take away from your studying. Don't procrastinate, start to create! Piktochart\'s signup page and form text box when getting started with piktochart to make an account Piktochart sign up page to create an account and become a user If you already have an account, you can sign in to your Piktochart account. Your dashboard menu is the first thing you see when you log in to your Piktochart account.  ***Piktochart dashboard*** If you want to create and start editing classroom visuals, choose Piktochart visuals on the right. Piktochart Visual lets you create visuals for the classroom in minutes. This is also where you can save your school projects, access resources, and select whichever template fits the layout you would like to use. You can easily switch between Piktochart Visual and Piktochart video from your dashboard page. At this point, click on your preferred visual format in the dashboard --- infographics, presentations, posters, reports, flyers, social media posts or your preferred sizing. screenshot of the different formats to choose from in Piktochart Visual Different formats to choose from in Piktochart Visual The short video tutorial below shows you how to navigate your Piktochart dashboard page, and choose between our range of templates from infographics to social media. **Step 2: Pick a template** Your next step is to choose the right template for your visual. You can either go to our template gallery or choose the visual format of your choice from your dashboard. The screenshot image below shows you a sneak peek of our templates library full of templates you can customize and create once you click on "Infographics" in the dashboard.  Preview of infographic templates in Piktochart. We've got them sorted by type -- infographic, report, poster, brochure, and presentation -- so look for a layout that inspires you (or one that goes well with your topic). These formats will certainly aid you in that science poster, history presentation, or economics report. Tip: Don't limit yourself to a specific format. For example, you might see a more suitable template for your next school presentation in the "Posters" category. As an example, you will find the student profile template below in the "Posters" format category. However, students can also use it during presentations. [Get this template](https://create.piktochart.com/printable/editor/2501) If you're looking for a particular idea or theme (like "sports" or "history"), you can use the search bar box at the top of the page and browse through pages of examples and templates.  Example of how to use the search bar in Piktochart We recommend keeping an eye out for a layout that resonates with you, and works for your project. For example, if you want to explain a process, use the step-by-step layout (like in the infographic template below) or a comparison template to compare and contrast two subjects. **Step 3: Design your visual** Once you've decided on a template, click "Edit Template" to load it (still within your browser). Afterward, you will be taken to the editor. You're now ready to edit and customize the template with your data and information. The left side bar of the editor houses all the tools you need to help you design your visual easily. These include graphs, charts, maps, photos, icons, color schemes, text frames, photo frames; you name it. screenshot of the powerful Piktochart editor including images for any project or visual asset Left sidebar in the Piktochart editor Change the default text by double-clicking on a text box. For example, add your project title to keep you focused on your school project. Change and edit the graphics Make your visuals come to life with graphics such as illustrations and icons. Piktochart has millions of files, icons, illustrations, and text frames to choose from. Click or drag-and-drop the graphics you need from the menu to your template. It may seem obvious, but try to use a font, images, and icons that relate to your project, and ultimately help your classmates or teachers understand the subject and your message better. Example of choosing icons and graphics that are relevant to your visual Resist the temptation of using more than three or four colors in your project. Too many colors will make your visual too busy, and overshadow your content. You don't want your viewers to get distracted, and miss your overarching key message. With Piktochart, you can change your visual's color scheme with just a few clicks by clicking the "Styles" icon box. Don't forget to use the save button along the way! You can even make your own color scheme in the Piktochart editor and use it for your future visuals Additionally, you can customize how your graphics look through editing by changing the colors, resizing and rotating them. Finally, Piktochart allows you to replace images seamlessly. Add or upload an image or photo frame of the perfect size with just a single click. You don't have to waste your time cropping or resizing images.  **Visualize your data** Use the tools available in the left side bar to visualize your data. There are tons of options in Piktochart for students to create graphs, charts, and maps that can be customized to beautify data, show a pattern or provide learning. Of course, this is applicable if you have data to present in your project, but it's always good to have research and facts to back up whatever point you're trying to make or the message you're trying to send. In addition to impressing your audience with your design, it will ultimately make your argument stronger and easier to digest. **Step 4: Share your infographic** Once you're done with your custom visual and satisfied with your work, you can access and download your asset as an image, SVG file, PDF, publish it online print your asset, share it with your teachers via email after you've downloaded it, or share your infographic directly on social media or via sharing websites. Piktochart has many sharing options to satisfy all needs! User download options in the Piktochart editor tool You can also easily access and share a public link of your visual files by clicking on "External Link Settings". How to share a public link of your visual in Piktochart Once there, simply click "Copy External Link". How to access the public link of your visual in Piktochart. With this link, you can present your visual templates to your audience by clicking the "Show Presentation" tab. How to present your visual in Piktochart through an external link And you're done! How easy was that? You're well on your way to an A+ project or report by using Piktochart! We hope to see you soon to help you with more projects, and don't be afraid to tell your friends about our easy-to-use online digital design tool! preview of infographic template with process layout using custom font size [Edit this template](https://create.piktochart.com/infographic/editor/2479) Once you've found the template you like, hover your cursor over the template box and click "Preview" (eye icon) to take a look at the template in more detail without having to leave your browser or download it. How to preview a template in Piktochart [https://piktochart.com/blog/student-guide-getting-started-piktochart/](https://piktochart.com/blog/student-guide-getting-started-piktochart/?fbclid=IwAR0a0XrGZTUyhs9sfO8df7o-tAEZ1uOF6Ga72iK0za9Vc-et7wIKmdRHDyc)