Free tools for better design

The ability to create powerful visual deliverables is increasingly becoming a skill that insight professionals need to master. But if, like most researchers, you don't have a background in graphic design, creating beautiful visual assets can be a real challenge.

Luckily, there are a number of free tools available to help us design presentations that really pack a punch.

Canva

The first of these is Canva, an online graphic design tool that allows you to create stunning work from a series of pre-made templates. The templates can be easily edited through the tool’s drag and drop interface, meaning that it’s possible to create beautiful material in a matter of minutes. Try using Canva to create posters or design magazines that bring customer segments to life in new and exciting ways.

Infogram

If you’re looking to create infographics, charts or maps, try Infogram. Like Canva, Infogram is very easy to use: simply upload your data, choose and customise one of thirty-five charts and then drag and drop to create a stunning infographic. What’s really exciting about Infogram is that it can be used to create interactive outputs that stakeholders can click through to explore the findings in a way that’s just not possible in a bog standard PowerPoint report.

Emma Muckersie
This article was first published in InBrief magazine, May 2017
Copyright © Association for Qualitative Research, 2017