Find us at:
Facebook | Linkedin | Youtube | Instagram
In just one day, 720,000 hours of new video content are uploaded to YouTube, 4.2 billion photos are liked on Instagram and 350 million photos are uploaded to Facebook. We are living in a visual age and it is vital for businesses to make the most of that opportunity.
What is visual communication?
Visual communication explores the idea that a visual message combined with text or audio has greater power to educate and influence a person or audience. Without visual communication, the world would rely on strict words to get a message across. Gratefully, the world has evolved beyond plain text to colorful images that can be used to enhance information sharing and business strategies.
Visualization is a skill in the Communicate constellation of Case Solvers’ Skill Universe and is defined:
“An item of illustrative matter, such as a film, slide, or model, designed to supplement written or spoken information so that it can be understood more easily.”
Case Solvers
Why are visual aids indispensable?
Decision making increasingly relies on data, which arrives with such overwhelming velocity, and in such volume, that some level of abstraction is crucial. Thanks to the internet and a growing number of affordable tools, visualization is accessible for everyone but that convenience can lead to charts that are merely adequate or even ineffective.
In the world of business, communication plays a vital role in keeping an organization running smoothly. Visual communication connects everyone through the use of technology and innovation and the benefits of visual communication are practically boundless.
Visuals save time. Visuals convey messages faster than words do. We are more likely to remember content with images, since they process 60,000 times faster.
Visuals ensure the message is clear and unified. Text communication fortified with visuals, short and simple videos and infographics leave all readers to interpret similar meanings and quickly get on the same page. They also prevent unclear and misunderstood messages that can cost your business time, money and customers.
Visual communication results in better retention. Images stay in your long-term memory whereas words go directly to your short-term memory. While only 20 percent of information is remembered when it is delivered via text, as much as 50 percent of the same message is retained when visuals are used.
Visuals simplify complex data. The written word is often confusing, particularly when you are trying to explain complex information to others. Visuals can help with communication so it leads to quicker decision-making.
On the other hand, visual business communication can be a double-edged sword. Poorly made graphics or images will not only fail to deliver the message but might become misleading and damage the communication. Try to avoid overcomplicating visuals, because it can be costly both money and time wise as well.
How to be a master of visualisation?
“An effective visual strategy ensures that every piece of collateral accurately conveys your message, properly embodies your brand, and effectively connects with your audience.” Josh Miles, President & Chief Creative Officer at Killer Visual Strategies.
Consistency is key, it is vital to go for balance and harmony. Regularly use the same type of images, clip arts, fonts and layouts, not a combination of many. These should match throughout the whole presentation, not just only in separate pages.
Always keep in mind that less is more. An effective design is clear cut and balanced to help viewers focus on important information and support the main message, not vica versa. It should support your company’s brand and be relevant to the points the speaker is trying to make. Most importantly, they should be effective and persuasive. Do not want to show everything in detail because that can easily mislead your audience.
If your goal is to elicit emotions, pay attention to the colors you use during your presentation. Every color expresses different emotions, for instance the red color can easily grasp the attention of your audience, while the different shades of grey are not so eye-catching.
Last but not least, do not overload. A few visuals bring attention to your content, but too many visuals make it hard to digest. Even worse, if you go overboard on images, people might have trouble loading the page and they can easily be distracted by something else that is happening around them.
Perfecting your visual skills is essential in today’s world. Grab every opportunity to improve it by trying yourself out in Case Solvers’ competency mapping software called Spartafy via an online situational judgment test. If you want to develop yourself, Case Solvers’ Deliver! training is also an option for you, because it aims to improve your data visualization and PTT skills. Contact us at support@case-solvers.com to find out more about our tests and trainings.
Further readings on the topic: