There are some things that you will start to notice if you are around design work all day. Even if you are a marketer like me, there are some things you start to pick up on. And a few of those things start to drive you crazy after a while.

And one those design thorns in my side is…bad icon usage.

This may sound like a little thing that really does not matter for infographics, but it does! Especially when someone is looking at your information, and they notice poor design choices, it puts the whole integrity of the infographic in jeopardy.

Instead of reading your great information, readers are focused on out of place icons.

Sometimes it is tough to pick the right icon, even if you are a designer. Which I am not, so it is doubly hard.

But fear not. With this guide, I will show you exactly how to use icons like a pro!

Here are a few examples of great icon usage before we get into the tips:

Infographics: 8 Simple Ways To Supercharge Your Icons | Venngage

1. When in doubt, use labels

This is a tip that I am going to repurpose directly from the web design community. During my research, I found that designers repeatedly state that the best way to make sure an icon is useful is to use a label or text with it. And that thinking can be applied directly to an infographic as well.

Using labels for icons is a necessity when designing an infographic.

Imagine if you saw the infographic on the left below. Would you be able to figure out what it was talking about in a few seconds? Probably not, but I don’t blame you because it is poorly designed.