Do you know what graphic resources are and how they can help you improve your projects? When you are working on a project, assignment or publication, if you only add textual information, don’t you feel that something is missing? You can have a brilliant content that will revolutionize the world, but if you present it only with text, it will be monotonous and boring, even more so in this digital age.
don’t waste any more time! In this article we will teach you what graphic resources are, and we will also tell you which are the most used types of graphic resourcesthat will help you explain your ideas in an organized and creative way. Finally, we offer you a pack of free templates designed especially for you.
Although in many areas the incorporation of images, graphs and data tables is not so common, the reality is that these graphic resources are the ideal complement for your presentations and reports. You can also use them as illustrations in your publications on social networks. incredible, isn’t it?
are you ready to start this journey between lines and bars? Let’s get started!
why use graphic resources?
We are in an excessively visual world, thanks to the advent of the digital era. According to the Hubspot portal, more than 40% of the world’s population uses social networks, so if you want to convey a message to someone, you need more than just words. And this is where the idea of using graphic resources comes in.
For many people, text-only documents represent absolute tedium and are not attractive. Understand that we are referring to multimedia information that can be simplified in graphs or tables, we are not talking about literary works such as Don Quixote de La Mancha.
In case you want to host statistics, data, and relevant information about a specific fact or place, isn’t it better if it is aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand? If you still had any doubts about what graphic resources are and what they are for, here you have the reason for their existence.
Networks, web portals, newsletters, channels… we live surrounded by a constant flow of visual material. For content generators it is essential to take advantage of graphic resources, as an alternative to reach a wider target of people.
Likewise, we know that the time the audience spends on a content is shorter and shorter and the constant exposure to informative stimuli is increasing. Using graphic resources in your publications or presentations will not only simplify the moment of explaining an idea, but will also save time for your readers.
Benefits of using graphic resources
everything we have said above does not tell you anything about the importance of using graphic resources to support your digital content? Do you still do not consider it necessary to add mind and concept maps to your documents? Here are the advantages of using this visual material:
It is useful to attract new followers and stand out from the competition.
It is memorable, users retain visual content longer than textual content.
Increases engagement, people interact more with visual elements than with “a lot of text”.
Simplifies content and conveys ideas in a better way.
It allows explaining very complex ideas in simpler ways.
Illustrates contents that present large amounts of text.
Dynamize the content in your feed or report.
As you have noticed, it is becoming more and more common to see reports or news items that include videos, images, graphics, diagrams or maps in their text. The content editors of the new media know what the reader is asking for and seek to provide the information in the most simplified way possible .
Now, although using graphic resources has many benefits, it does not mean that you can use as many graphics as you want. Do you want to know how to properly use graphic resources for design? Here we will tell you the essential tips.
Source: Pixabay
what does the term “graphic resources” mean?
As you probably already know, a great strategy when it comes to elucidating the meaning of this or that concept is to divide it into its parts. If we want to find out what graphic resources mean, let’s start by defining its two components: resource and graphic.
A resource is that complement or tool that we have at hand to help us in some situation or solve some need we have. For example, the internet, money, a book, a bottomless well of chocolate ice cream that never melts (good for depression, too bad it doesn’t exist).
And if we add the word graphic, we already indicate that we are talking about a visual component, a kind of representation through signs or drawings (for example, those famous bar graphs).
easy, isn’t it? Even explaining it with apples wouldn’t have been easier. Now we must join both concepts and we will have the definition of graphic resources.
what are graphic resources? They are those tools that we use as a complement to information, which may or may not be present, while helping us to highlight the most important points on a specific topic.
What are the types of graphic resources?
One of the main virtues of graphic resources is their variety. The fact is that you must choose the type of graphic resource based on a series of aspects:
The subject to which you refer and its complexity.
The type of information you have as a basis.
To whom the information is addressed.
Where this information will be published.
The degree of importance of the graphic resource, is it just an add-on? or is it perhaps the main element of the report?
Once you are clear on these points, you can choose the element you want to insert in your presentation and transmit the information in a more didactic and enjoyable way. Here are the types of graphic resources:
1. Tables
One of the oldest ways to understand what graphic resources are and to represent visual content are tables, used since ancient times and with proven effectiveness, both in the analog and digital era.
Data tables (not the one you use to cut your vegetables) are that element we use to represent data in a list, following an order previously established by us (alphabetical, numerical, importance…).
They are a series of rows and columns (the number depends on the project) that form a cell to provide information in the most synthetic way possible. Do not deny the importance of data tables, they are probably the most used resource nowadays to insert in texts.
2. Images and icons
This category is very broad, and extensive to other graphic materials. We can put in the category of images:
Illustrations
icons
Infographics
These visual components can work together to simplify information in a better way. You will be able to understand what graphic resources are and how they work, in order to take better advantage of their function. Also, icons serve to show, in a different way, some information we are already used to.
Source: Pixabay
Templates for infographics
and what’s better than understanding a concept or an idea through an infographic? These infographic templates will fascinate you, since you can use them for any college assignment or presentation at work.
The great thing about this graphic resource is that it is the most effective way to generate recall in your target and communicate an idea in a creative way. You can add images, icons, emojis, etc. it is very versatile!
3. Mind maps
do you remember mind maps? One of those definitions that we usually associate with school and some homework, but that would become a valuable resource when studying.
why is that? Well, mind maps are a visual diagram in which different concepts, words, ideas, readings ortasks can be approachedaround a key word. More precisely, the subject of the map.
With this type of graphic resource you schematize the information in a pleasant and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. To spend those hours and hours of study, creative mind maps are the ideal choice.
Mind map templates
As we explained above, the mind map is one of the most used graphic resources when studying a subject at school or university. Even to explain a creative concept of a new advertising campaign.
Therefore, we share with you these mind map templates that will not only help you to organize and visualize your ideas, but also to understand them faster.
4. Concept maps
And here we bring you another flashback to your early childhood. Concept maps do not have the popularity of mind maps (one with more look, the other more technical, but very useful both), although both tools saved the life of more than one when studying.
Concept maps are a graphical representation of a specific knowledge, they fulfill the purpose of informing or teaching. The big difference between this type of map and the mental map is that they hierarchize the information into subtopics and give greater or lesser importance to certain concepts .
On the other hand, concept maps are an ideal graphic resource for those schemes that need a little more precision in their explanation. Although they only admit words as concepts, the arrows that link them can indicate senses and meanings.
We can say that they are a synthetic format to make the information less tedious, with a well-defined and sustained hierarchical organization. Undoubtedly, it is very useful, just like mind maps.
Concept map templates
do you have a new project and you are in charge of communicating it to the other members of your team? Then the concept map will be your best ally!
This graphic resource allows you to establish relationships between different concepts to facilitate the understanding of a specific topic. In that sense, this pack of 5 Powerpoint concept map templates will be very useful to explain your ideas and represent them visually in a creative way. they are editable!
5. Synoptic tables
These are types of graphic resources similar to the concept map, but they use the format of keys to represent the information .
Placed from left to right, these graphic resources schematize the textual content with a format of categories and subcategories. In this way, a certain hierarchy is presented in the information that goes from the most abstract to the most concrete.
Another major difference between this graphic resource and the concept map. The former only admits, as its name says, the use of concepts or words. On the other hand, in the synoptic charts we can add sentences and even small paragraphs.
Source: Unsplash
Creative synoptic chart templates
do you know why synoptic charts are so essential? They are one of the best graphic resources to synthesize the most important data about some text in an organized way.
Although you can find many synoptic chart templates on the web, most of them are flat and lacking in color. Therefore, in this pack of templates with different styles and colors, you will be able to make a difference in your projects.
6. Graphics
If we are talking about numerical data, statistical tables and graphs are always a good option.
With statistical graphs, you will be able to represent figures, percentages and any information that involves some number with a geometric figure format. The most used graphical resources of this type are:
Bars
Circular
Pyramid
Linear
Polygonal
Radial
Histogram
Cartogram
Dispersion
Diagrams
As you can already imagine, each of these graphic resources is useful in different contexts. Their choice will depend mainly on the number of variables we want to illustrate and their nature. A very common application of this resource can be seen with bar charts, which are usually used to represent projections, results or variable information.
Template to make a flowchart
having trouble explaining a creative process? flowchart templates are just what you need!
In fact, companies use these graphic resources to visually represent the steps to follow in an administrative process, for example. In short, it is a very useful tool if you are in charge of a business or if you have a venture.
7. Ordering by bullets
As examples of graphic resources we also have the bulleted order. Do you want to see why?
It makes the information more efficient.
It outlines the content in a simple way .
Source: Unsplash
8. Brainstorming
Although brainstorming is not a formal graphic resource, it can be very useful when incubating a new proposal for your work or venture. They can be very useful when incubating a new proposal for your work or venture. In your team there are many members and sometimes it becomes chaotic to share? Knowing how to brainstorm can save you on more than one occasion!
Brainstorming template
If you plan to launch a new venture idea and revolutionize the market, then the first big step to improve your creation process is to have the right tools to conceptualize new projects.
In that sense, this brainstorming template will help you do just that. If you have already mastered mind mapping, brainstorming will be easy for you.
9. Comparative tables
Now, when the topic becomes more serious and all your information must be presented in writing but based on certain categories, using the comparative chart as a graphic resource is just what you need.
As its name suggests, the use of this graphic resource is dedicated to discriminate by this or that variable a particular topic.
Templates to make a comparative chart
We finish with these templates to make a comparative chart that will impress your boss and your clients. This graphic resource is used to establish the differences between two or more elements.
In this pack of templates you will find 5 models of comparative charts that will help you make it easier for your customers to make decisions about your product. They are customizable!
Strategies to use a graphic resource properly
If you already understood what graphic resources are and decided to use some of them in your work, welldone! But, there are certain recommendations you should follow.
do you think it’s enough to insert a graphic resource anywhere in the document and that’s it? That’s not enough, the work has just begun.
If you want to put your tool to good use, you should try these tips so that your visual element fulfills its function in the best possible way.
Use your resource to explain, not to redundant
If you feel that both your graphic element and your text have the same message, then you should rephrase your work.
The idea of the resource is to be a support for the information, be it infographics or mind and concept maps, so you have to make the best possible use of the graphic resources. For this, save the information regarding data or figures for the visual content and leave the important ideas of your message in the text.
Place the resource in the right place
If you’re going to put a bar chart that talks about the statistics of sausage sales in Finland, don’t place it in a section where you talk about hamburger sales in Singapore. They are two completely different topics, which can throw the reader off balance.
Likewise, you must be very strategic when placing a graphic resource. You should pay attention to whether you need to explain the core of the idea first and then illustrate, or if not, start with the visual impact and then develop the theme.
If you understand what graphic resources are, you should know that it is essential to try to keep your resource relevant and place it right after an idea related to your element. In case it is a lengthy work, create an Appendices section. You don’t want to bombard your reader with so many images and very little text.
Resources should be self-contained
While it is true that among the virtues of graphic resources is the fact that they should support the information in the text, it should also be interpretable if it leaves its context.
what do we mean by this? We mean that the information we see in statistical graphics must be understandable at all times and that the reader understands what it conveys, without the need to see anything else.
Choose the right resource
You already know what graphic resources are, now you should know that not all resources are suitable for all moments.
The idea is to make an analysis of which one you think will work in your text. There are different types of graphics, mind maps, infographics, among other alternatives.
You must be consistent with your resources
If you have elements apart from the text, fine. If these elements are perceived as part of a unit, with the same colors, font and format, even better. The idea is that the reader does not feel that he is seeing pieces of a work, but the harmonious whole of a whole, so the multimedia element would reinforce that impression.
This point is very important, especially if you are looking for a publication on your website or a social network. The informative intention of the graphic resources should always prevail over the aesthetics, but that does not mean leaving aside your brand image.
Concrete examples of how to use graphic resources
We have already seen what a graphic resource means, what its types are and some key points to use them correctly. Now we want to show you concrete examples of reality that go beyond the typical academic report. If you still have doubts about how to use graphic resources in different types of publications and fields, here are some cases that you should not miss:
Posts in social networks
did you think that graphic resources were only used in super formal environments? In this example of a graphic resource, we can see how an Instagram account uses this resource to explain a much more complex concept in an image.
Although it is supported by a descriptive text that supports and complements the cake graphic, it is very easy to understand the idea of the post just by interpreting the information of the graphic resource.
how many times do we need to draw on a piece of paper the explanation of an idea to a friend? Well, this example of the use of a graphic resource is the same!
Special reports
Another great example of graphic resources in fields that are not strictly academic are thoseonline reports that offer specific information on a particular topic that has been deeply studied. Such is the case of Hubspot’s Trends and Data in Sales and Marketing report.
As you can imagine, descriptive development in textual format is essential for this type of report. However, they constantly make use of graphic resources to illustrate and visualize comparative values and percentages in a much simpler way.
News
If you thought that graphs such as bar charts or comparative charts are only used in economic and financial news, let me surprise you with this example of a graphic resource designed by the Clarín newspaper.
Their website offers a super interactive interface created using graphic resources in which you can choose from various categories to compare from the world of sports. In this case, we can see a comparison between two of the most recognized soccer teams in the Champions League: Barcelona and Chelsea.
But that’s not all, as we saw in the section on the benefits of using graphic resources, this design allows us not only to compare one variant (soccer teams), but also to combine it with other variants. In this case, the distribution of the team in the game.
In this way, we can see how a news that can be explained in a written text, becomes an interactive tool for the user thanks to the use of online graphic resources.
Infographics
Another concrete example of the use of graphic resources is that of infographics. Although in many cases they are composed of various elements such as drawings and boxes, which modify their traditional graphic aspect, infographics are great allies of complex topics and simple explanations.
Surely you know the famous Pictoline creations that combine quality information, graphic design and illustrative elements. Now you know that we should not only fall back on the typical synoptic table to develop a complicated topic. See how this infographic works as an ideal graphic resource.
The best websites with free graphic resources
Now we’ve seen all the information you need to know about graphic resources. All that’s left is to put it into practice. It’s time for the public’s favorite section: free graphic resources!
If you want to download visual content to support information, such as online mind maps or creative concept maps, we have just what you need:
For images you can use websites like:
Librestock
Pixabay
Pexels
If you are looking for icons and vectors, we recommend the following websites:
Freepik
Best PSD Freebies
For creating concept maps and mind map models, these portals can be very useful for you:
Canva
Lucidchart
Mindmeister
Source: Pixabay
Knowing what graphic resources are, you already understand that, well managed, they are an inexhaustible source of knowledge. Whenever you need to outline information, you can choose the one that best suits you to represent some information and you will see how your document acquires another air.