10 Difficult Questions to Ask an Infographic Designer or Agency

Whether you’re looking to get a new infographic designed or have been working with an individual or agency

for some time, you want to get the best you possibly can.

But how much do you really know about your infographic designer/agency?

We have put together these 10 questions so you can fully understand the process and make sure that you

pick the right agency/freelancer for you.

1. What were your last 10 infographics?

Why It’s Important

Whoever you’re working with may be a veteran or new to infographic design but you want to see their work

before you choose to start working with them.

From a design perspective you can see if you like the design and it might give you inspiration for what you

would like yours to look like. This also allows you to see the type of content and subjects your infographic

designer works around, and the overall finish and quality.

Finally, you’ll be able to see how consistent your designer/agency is.

2. How many links on average do your graphics get?

Photograph by i_MJane via Flickr

Why It’s Important

Links are a great measure of success and are the one and only targets for some clients. Seeing how many and

what sorts of links your designer’s infographics have had in the past can give a clear picture as to whether

they can successfully repeat great results.

It’s ok for suppliers to provide a range and this will obviously come with a proviso that you can’t guarantee

success. However, a good agency/designer will have a good track record average for the last 20+

infographics.

3. What is your edit change policy?

Photograph by Daniel Novta via Flickr

Why It’s Important

It’s extremely rare that a project is completed without any edits being made. Whether it’s a design or copy

edit, editing is a useful process to perfect and fine tune your infographic. However, charging for edits again

and again or refusing to comply with what you want isn’t something you want to hear.

4. What are the backgrounds of your designers?

Photograph by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M via Flickr

Why It’s Important

Experience in graphic design is key to producing consistently high quality content.

Although it’s not necessary, a degree or recognisable course shows that a designer has undergone years of

training and is confident in their ability to produce work of a very high quality. Years of experience ensures

that the work is produced as efficiently as possible to meet deadlines without compromising any element of

the design.

Knowing this can give you an insight into the standard of work you can come to expect and know that the

agency uses professional designers or is one themselves.

5. What is your ideas process?

Photograph by Carsten Keßler via Flickr

Why It’s Important

All infographics need to start with an idea, from initial concept when writing the copy to designing the

graphic. A solid idea is the backbone to a successful infographic.

Asking what the ideas process for the infographic involves can show that choices have been made and the

right idea(s) have been thought about and selected. It also means you can utilise the agency’s expertise in

the field who should know what works and what doesn’t work. This will mean you won’t be left scratching

your head.

6. Do you write the copy yourself?

Photograph by Erin Kohlenberg via Flickr

Why It’s Important

Although infographics are primarily visual pieces, good copy is often overlooked and is an important part of

how the infographic reads. An agency or designer who produces the copy for the infographic can make sure

that it is:

In keeping with any brand guidelines, uses the correct language and tone, is easy to understand and

isn’t too lengthy.

Can be re-written and edited quickly and easily if needed.

Can supplement the design with formatting and sentence structure, working closely with the

designer.

7. Do you outreach the final infographic?

Photograph by PhotoAtelier via Flickr

Why It’s Important

If the goal of your infographic is placements across the web, then you want to make sure that your

infographic designer/agency understands the process for outreaching the final product.

It’s worth asking the following questions:

Can you take me through your process for outreach?

How many hours do you perform “outreach”?

Are outreach teams based in-house or is it outsourced? (There is nothing wrong with using

outsourcers but you will want to be clear on the actual process.)

Ask to see some placements made in the last 2 weeks. This can help you understand if they are regularly

outreaching.

Be aware of agencies/freelancers that aren’t clear in their outreach process, as bad outreach doesn’t just

waste your money but can potentially harm your brand. This is an example of bad outreach that happened

recently - http://apartmentgeeks.net/how-to-avoid-an-iphone-accident-in-your-apartment/

8. Do you provide reports after your infographics have gone live?

Photograph by Mark Gstohl via Flickr

Why It’s Important

If an agency/freelancer outreaches your infographic, you want to make sure that you will be given a report.

A report allows you to quickly identify the success and failure of the infographic. A good report should also

contain qualitative information from bloggers/webmasters on their opinion of the infographic.

Often infographics don’t get as many results due to factors outside the control of the infographic

designer/agency, such as problems with the website. A report allows for this information to be shared in an

efficient way.

Bonus points for asking your supplier to share with you an example of a client report so you know what to

expect.

9. Has any infographic failed, and can you explain why?

Photograph by April L. Sanders via Flickr

Why It’s Important

This is a difficult question as no one likes to concentrate on failure, but a good supplier will be able to tell

you what went wrong and how they will try to limit this from happening on future projects.

10. What kind of project management will be available to me?

Photograph by Official U.S. Navy Page via Flickr

Why It’s Important

Whilst design, research and outreach are extremely important, project management is a major factor when

picking an ongoing supplier.

You will want to know:

How many points of contact will I have?

How long will an average email take to be answered?

Is there a phone number I can use to talk to someone?

What is your process for project management? Is there an online tool I can use to track the progress

of the project?

We hope these questions help you to choose your future infographic supplier and if you ever want to ask us

any difficult questions, then our Head of Outreach - Danny Ashton - is available anytime you’d like to talk -

danny@neomam.com