{"id":15664,"date":"2018-04-27T12:45:05","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T16:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/?p=15664"},"modified":"2026-04-15T00:38:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T04:38:41","slug":"icon-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use an Icon Story to Take Your Infographic to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/header-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15714\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/header-2.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"3200\" height=\"1800\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 30,000 BC, when we were painting on cave walls, we\u2019ve been using simple images to communicate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Icons are the modern-day equivalent of cave paintings. They are <\/span><b>simple, visual symbols that are used to communicate real-world concepts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and ideas, that are designed to be universally and intuitively understood. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you look around you, you\u2019ll see them everywhere\u2014on your phone, on your computer, on bathroom doors, on road signs, in instruction manuals, in airports\u2026anywhere that clear communication is necessary.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/olympic-icons.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15705 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/olympic-icons.jpg\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"339\" height=\"200\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/writing\/Introduction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Icons are used all the time in infographics, too. They\u2019re often added as an accompaniment to infographic text, used to bring some extra visual flair to the table. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lCXFJEK_lVk\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center><br>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there\u2019s much more to infographic icons than just aesthetics.<\/span><p><\/p>\n<h2><b>Icons and icon stories are powerful communication tools<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our brains are primed to process visual information, with 40% of our cerebral cortex devoted to visual perception. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Infographics are unique in that they can be designed to leverage this strength of the human visual system. The most effective infographics use eye-catching visuals to summarize and communicate complex ideas quickly and easily. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And icons are one of the best ways of doing that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Icons are the perfect tool for representing ideas visually<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because they are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Engaging<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: they can add personality to an otherwise bland graphic <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Unambiguous<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: they can be understood regardless of language or reading level<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Flexible<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: their size and color can often be modified, making them easy to customize to fit an infographic<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, they have that undeniable \u201cit\u201d factor:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/posters\/plastic-marine-life-4c5cb3e3-ab2a-4cd9-bfdb-cfe7c879cb1a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15692\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-poster-fish.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"919\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/posters\/plastic-marine-life-4c5cb3e3-ab2a-4cd9-bfdb-cfe7c879cb1a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But best of all, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">icons can be used like a visual language<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They can be strung together like words, used to tell visual stories, or \u201cicon stories\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Icon stories can be used<\/b> <b>to simplify and communicate ideas, scenes, and feelings that are otherwise hard to express.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We all know that it\u2019s better to show than tell. Combining icons to create compelling icon stories is an easy way to replace words with visuals, and will help you connect and engage with your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/doctors-comparison-infographic-31e7264b-a257-4920-965f-f7934eef0048\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15683\" style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd;\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/data-health.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"841\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/doctors-comparison-infographic-31e7264b-a257-4920-965f-f7934eef0048\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So today I\u2019m going to teach you how to use icon stories to take your infographic to the next level. Plus, I\u2019ll give you some quick tips on how to make the most of icons in Venngage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>NEW! Introducing: Marketing Statistics Report 2022<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s 2022 already. Marketers, are you still using data from pre-COVID times?<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t make decisions based on outdated data that no longer applies. It&#8217;s time you keep yourself informed of the latest marketing statistics and trends during the past two years, and learn how COVID-19 has affected marketing efforts in different industries \u2014 <b>with this FREE marketing statistics report put together by Venngage and <a href=\"https:\/\/hubspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HubSpot<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The report uses data gathered from over 100,000 customers of HubSpot CRM. In addition to that, you&#8217;ll also know about the trends in using visuals in content marketing and the impacts of the pandemic on visual content, from 200+ marketers all over the world interviewed by Venngage.<\/p>\n<p>Grab your copy now \u2014 it&#8217;s not like any other marketing reports out there, plus it&#8217;s 100% free!<br>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/marketing-statistics-report?utm_source=hscm-venngage-ebook-2022-blg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-50398\" style=\"box-shadow: 0 1px 4px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 0 6px 0 rgb(0 0 0 \/ 10%), 0 2px 2px -2px rgb(0 0 0 \/ 15%);\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Marketing-Statistics-Report-Thumbnail.png\" alt=\"marketing statistics report 2022 Venngage Hubspot\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/offers.hubspot.com\/marketing-statistics-report?utm_source=hscm-venngage-ebook-2022-blg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <button class=\"btn-cta\"><b>GET YOUR FREE COPY<\/b><\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<h2><b>When to use an icon story in an infographic<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three easy ways to put icon stories to work in an infographic.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Use an icon story for decoration<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the idea of an icon story is new to you, the easiest way to get started is by using icon stories for decoration. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combining icons to create decorative elements is a pretty straightforward process, and can give a design extra visual impact, as you can see in this live art and music <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/poster-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">poster<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/posters\/arts--music-poster-92bd8005-628b-43a5-86fa-106aeadf55e5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15693\" style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd;\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-poster-music.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"841\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/posters\/arts--music-poster-92bd8005-628b-43a5-86fa-106aeadf55e5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some basic guidelines for pulling this kind of decoration off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Find a few different icons that center around the theme of your infographic.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The title page of this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/business-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business plan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> template, for example, uses a few icons related to sales, money, and shopping, as decoration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/plans\/green-business-plan-d170e94e-a0be-4fa5-a74e-7cb5d1803bc2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15706\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-businessPlan-1.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"826\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/plans\/green-business-plan-d170e94e-a0be-4fa5-a74e-7cb5d1803bc2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When deciding what icons to add to your infographic, feel free to flex your creativity muscles&#8211;Venngage offers a database of over 10,000 icons. Browse through our icon categories to find the ones that best reflect the content of your infographic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click on relevant category titles to reveal the icons that fall under that category:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-icon-categories-05.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15690\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-icon-categories-05.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"1240\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or type relevant keywords into our icon search bar to look for something specific:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-icon-categories-06.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15691\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-icon-categories-06.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"1053\" height=\"995\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then click the icon you want to use, and it\u2019ll appear in the editor. Just try to keep a few things in mind when choosing your icons:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A single icon story should contain only icons of the same style.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the business plan above, the icons work well together because they all have the same icon style. In Venngage, there are four main icon styles to choose from:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-styles.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15694\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-styles.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"400\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the business plan contains only monocolor outlined icons, the graphic has a satisfying sense of visual unity. When building your own icon story from scratch, always try to combine icons of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">same visual style<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Make every icon the same color so the icon story feels like one cohesive unit. <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Color is another thing to consider. The reason the icon story in this business plan works so well is that a single color is used to tie all of the decorative elements together!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Venngage makes it easy to change the color of an icon. Just select the icon you want to change, click the color widget in the top toolbar, and click the desired color swatch:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-change-color-02.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15688\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-change-color-02.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"1230\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last piece of the puzzle that makes this icon story successful?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Use simple shapes to create backgrounds and borders around icons.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simple icon shapes (borders and circles, in this case) can be combined with other icons to give them more visual weight and make them feel more complete. These simple shapes can be used as extra decoration, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shapes and borders can be found at the top of the icons widget in Venngage\u2019s left panel, under \u201cShapes and Symbols\u201d, and \u201cLines and Borders\u201d. To combine icons, match up their sizes and layer them on top of each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-borders-03.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15686\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-borders-03.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"607\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-combining.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15689\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-combining.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"159\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To summarize these tips and tricks for creating a decorative icon story:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find a few icons of the same style that center around the theme of your infographic<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use a single icon color to pull these icons together<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add simple icon shapes like circles and borders to give icons visual weight and create a sense of cohesion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-4-steps-04.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15685\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/decorative-4-steps-04.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"1822\" height=\"559\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Use an icon story to create a scene<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another easy way get started with icon stories is to combine icons to create scenes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like we can see in this infographic, multiple icons of the same style can be combined to create an eye-catching, impactful image that could pass as a custom illustration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-machine-steps-07-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15707\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-machine-steps-07-1.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"268\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/creating-an-infographic-outline-from-existing-content-391c854b-4a78-4bdb-bc1f-08a92cc1ebeb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15674\" style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd;\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-machine.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"841\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/creating-an-infographic-outline-from-existing-content-391c854b-4a78-4bdb-bc1f-08a92cc1ebeb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea with an icon scene is that you want to create something that looks seamless. This means that a lot of same principles apply here as for decorative icon stories: for the scenes to look natural, the styles and colors of combined icons must be consistent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get started, try your hand at using a few simple, recognizable shapes as subtle background elements. This strategy works well for creating outdoor landscapes or cityscapes, like we can see in this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/features\/brochure-maker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">brochure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> template:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/brochure-08.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15680\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/brochure-08.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"225\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/brochures\/farm-fresh-tri-fold-brochure-c9b8fa8c-ff34-4888-9a54-b56b9afd72a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15667\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-brochure.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"1063\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/brochures\/farm-fresh-tri-fold-brochure-c9b8fa8c-ff34-4888-9a54-b56b9afd72a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, take things up a notch by adding colorful, detailed icons as foreground elements over these simpler background icons. By combining foreground and background elements it\u2019s possible to make a complete scene that can be used as a feature of your design.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-biker-09.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15666\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-biker-09.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"415\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/scandinavian-geographic-fact-0c06496a-dac9-45f9-afe3-9c3615cfc9b7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15677 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-scandinavia.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"816\" height=\"1056\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/scandinavian-geographic-fact-0c06496a-dac9-45f9-afe3-9c3615cfc9b7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Icon scenes don\u2019t even have to have a lot of elements to work well!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This one is a personal favourite of mine, because it\u2019s much simpler than it looks. It creates an entire scene out of three icons and a few shapes, applying a clever metaphor for motivation. It takes style cues from the focal point (the mountain) and carries the same styling throughout for an impressive effect:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/motivation-10.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15704\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/motivation-10.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"268\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/3-types-of-motivation-comparison-656cd4cd-0087-4c70-b162-4ee0b196f59b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15675\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-motivation.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"841\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/3-types-of-motivation-comparison-656cd4cd-0087-4c70-b162-4ee0b196f59b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But enough of outdoor scenery, let\u2019s look at some other types of icon scenes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to imitate a real life objects, do your best to create a sense of depth in your scene. Here are some easy techniques for creating depth with icons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add a rectangle at the bottom of the page to represent the \u201cground\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Layer multiple illustrated icons in the foreground<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use a semi-transparent oval to mimic a shadow on the ground.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of these techniques are expertly applied in this price comparison infographic:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-pennies-12.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15676\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-pennies-12.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"267\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/grocery-price-comparison-chart-65f66c35-9a89-406d-896b-0ce2a1e1ba5d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15670\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-grocery.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"841\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/grocery-price-comparison-chart-65f66c35-9a89-406d-896b-0ce2a1e1ba5d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and stick with illustrated icons for icons scenes whenever possible &#8211; the little bit of extra realism they carry tends to make the finished product a lot more effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t feel like every scene has to mimic real life scenarios, though. It\u2019s often just as effective to pick a few icons that match in style and color, and arrange them nicely on the page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/retail-price-comparison-4dfda3e0-ff9c-4b3c-9b38-a6d7ba603501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15678\" style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd;\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/scene-shopping.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"841\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/retail-price-comparison-4dfda3e0-ff9c-4b3c-9b38-a6d7ba603501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Use an icon story to represent data<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last type of icon story I\u2019d like to touch on today is the icon chart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>An icon chart is a type of visualization that uses repeated icons to represent data.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use them to add visual interest to very simple data, like in this quick breakdown of coffee shop numbers in the United States:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/coffee-shops-880cf65c-ac54-40ae-86ed-c214163c6a63\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15682 size-full\" style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd;\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/data-coffee.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"700\" height=\"906\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\/coffee-shops-880cf65c-ac54-40ae-86ed-c214163c6a63\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an icon chart, basic icons are stacked, either horizontally, vertically, or both, to illustrate a simple number or proportion. Kind of like a visual tally, it\u2019s especially useful for simple quantitative data like survey results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/reports\/customer-survey-report-ab002bc8-bb00-40c0-96e1-65c70dd14ebc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15679\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Screen-Shot-2018-04-26-at-5.50.16-PM.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"352\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/reports\/customer-survey-report-ab002bc8-bb00-40c0-96e1-65c70dd14ebc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visually stacking items to represent simple data has been shown to <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/steveharoz.com\/research\/isotype\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improve short-term recall<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of that data, compared to bar charts. And using icons, specifically, compared to other generic shapes like circles has been shown to boost both engagement and long-term recall of data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/data-13.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15681\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/data-13.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"187\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/steveharoz.com\/research\/isotype\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Source<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, assuming I\u2019ve convinced you that you should definitely use an icon chart in your next infographic, here\u2019s how to make one in Venngage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start by opening the \u2018Icon Chart\u2019 library in the left toolbar. This will reveal most of the same icon categories we saw earlier in the icon library, save for a few that don\u2019t work so well in icon charts (detailed and illustrated icons are not so great for icon charts).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find the symbol that you want to use, either by browsing the icon categories or by searching for a specific keyword, and click to create an icon chart with that symbol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/making-chart-14.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15701\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/making-chart-14.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"697\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Play with the \u201cicons\/row\u201d and \u201cicons\/column\u201d, toggles to create the desired number of rows and columns. Then, if you\u2019re visualizing a proportion set the \u201cfill %\u201d to the correct level. If you\u2019re just visualizing a whole number, set the \u201cfill %\u201d to 100 so that every icon is the same color.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/making-chart-15.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15702\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/making-chart-15.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"328\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then use the usual color swatches to adjust the icon color, and use the bounding box to resize the entire chart, if you need to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/making-chart-16.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15703\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/making-chart-16.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"199\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, if your data is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ultra <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">simple, you can make an icon chart manually from individual icons, like you can see in this template below.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/presentations\/childhood-obesity-presentation-e2d84f4b-1034-46d9-8c6d-2e4de00e7fce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15708\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/obesity-22.png\" alt=\"icon chart\" width=\"650\" height=\"846\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/presentations\/childhood-obesity-presentation-e2d84f4b-1034-46d9-8c6d-2e4de00e7fce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><button class=\"btn-cta\">GET THIS TEMPLATE<\/button><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next time you want to visualize some data in an infographic, consider using an icon chart. But remember &#8211; this kind of data visualization is only appropriate for small, simple data series, not for visualizing large, complex datasets.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to use icons like a pro in Venngage<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By now you should almost be ready to use icons like a pro, but there are two things I haven\u2019t touched on yet that are key for creating great icon stories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How to favorite an icon<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you use Venngage regularly, favoriting icons is absolutely essential. It can speed up the infographic creation process exponentially! It\u2019s best to favorite icons that you use regularly to make them easier to find.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Favorite an icon in two quick steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select the icon you want to favorite.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click the heart at the top left of the editor.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-17-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15709\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-17-1.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"423\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You can find your favorited icon under \u201cMy Favorites\u201d in the icon tab in the left panel.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-18.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15698\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-18.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"423\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To remove an icon from \u201cMy Favorites\u201d, select the icon and click on the heart again.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-19.png\"><br>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-19.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15699\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/favorite-19.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"285\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>How to change an icon in a pre-existing template<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not a designer, I recommend working from one of our many pre-designed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/templates\/infographics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">infographic templates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than building your own from scratch. Many of our templates already include icons, but don\u2019t feel like you have to stick with those original icons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can swap out icons in a template in four steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select the icon you want to replace.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hit the \u201cDelete\u201d button on your keyboard, or click the \u201cDelete\u201d button in the top toolbar.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click the new icon you want to add.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resize it to fit, and drag it into place<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/editing-20.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15695\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/editing-20.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"673\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/editing-21.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15696\" src=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/editing-21.png\" alt=\"icon story\" width=\"650\" height=\"327\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I come across people all the time who have trouble simplifying and communicating complex ideas for their infographics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you ever run into this problem yourself, give icons and icon stories a try. They can communicate a lot of information in a small space&nbsp;and they&#8217;re great for engagement. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\n  \"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"VideoObject\",\n  \"name\": \"Everything you need to know about ICONS [UNDER 3 MINUTES]\",\n  \"description\": \"What\u2019s an icon? Where icons come from? When shall I use an icon? Don\u2019t worry - Venngage have got you covered with Everything you need to know about icons in under 3 minutes. Icons are simple pictures used in communication design to represent an idea or a thing. Icons are everywhere, from our computers to our restaurants. The word icon comes from the Greek word for image, and although the phrase \u2018iconography\u2019 has its roots in religious symbology, icons are now a daily part of communication design. Icons are used to communicate things quickly and clearly - making them great for communicating across languages, or in crowded or public spaces. You can use icons in resumes and designs to draw attention to specific parts of the page too. But how do you use icons effectively in your designs? Make sure you make the icon stand out. Use contrasting colors, shapes, and space around your icon.\",\n  \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/lCXFJEK_lVk\/default.jpg\",\n  \"uploadDate\": \"2019-05-13T18:47:57Z\",\n  \"duration\": \"PT3M27S\",\n  \"embedUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lCXFJEK_lVk\",\n  \"interactionCount\": \"33083\"\n}<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since 30,000 BC, when we were painting on cave walls, we\u2019ve been using simple images to communicate. Icons are the modern-day equivalent of cave paintings. They are simple, visual symbols that are used to communicate real-world concepts and ideas, that are designed to be universally and intuitively understood. If you look around you, you\u2019ll see [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":15714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[95,607],"tags":[242],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An icon story is an easy way to take your infographic to the next level. They&#039;re engaging and can communicate a ton of information in a small space.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use an Icon Story to Take Your Infographic to the Next Level - Venngage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An icon story is an easy way to take your infographic to the next level. They&#039;re engaging and can communicate a ton of information in a small space.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Venngage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Venngage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-04-27T16:45:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-15T04:38:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/header-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"3200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@venngage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@venngage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Midori Nediger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Venngage\",\"description\":\"Learn to Communicate with Data\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/header-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/04\/header-2.png\",\"width\":3200,\"height\":1800,\"caption\":\"icon story\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/\",\"name\":\"How to Use an Icon Story to Take Your Infographic to the Next Level - Venngage\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/icon-story\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-04-27T16:45:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-15T04:38:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1e6ef71ec4df828e0f82e52c92b4fdb1\"},\"description\":\"An icon story is an easy way to take your infographic to the next level. 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