What is visual communication?

Visual communication is the practice of using visual elements to get a message across, inspire change, or
evoke an emotion.

Visual Communication exists in two parts; communication design and graphic design:

 Communication design refers to crafting a message that educates, motivates, and engages the viewer.
 Graphic design uses design principles to communicate that message in a way that is clear and eye-catching
to the intended audience.

What visual communication is really about at its core is selecting the elements that will create the most
meaning for your audience. These elements usually include text, icons, shapes, imagery, and data
visualizations.

Some strategies that are common in visual communication are:

 Showing the impact of your work by using data visualization

 Outlining processes and flows by using shapes and lines
 Creating more memorable information through the use of symbols and icons
 Telling stories through visuals and data
 Harnessing color to illustrate importance and attract attention

Why is visual communication important?

 The chances of your workforce being made up of people from one generation with one personality
type and one learning style are pretty slim.

 The modern workplace landscape sees us working cross-generationally and cross-culturally, with
individuals from all walks of life who have different learning styles, and different backgrounds.

 This reality makes for a very interesting group of colleagues and carries the benefit of multiple distinct
perspectives. Of course, it also presents some significant challenges that employers and managers need
to address in order to communicate effectively and keep the full workforce as engaged as possible.

 An individual’s reception to and retention of information provided can vary greatly depending on
where they land on each of the spectrums listed above but also on how the information is provided.

 Integrating visual communication as part of your routine norms is important because it helps to bridge
the gaps that traditional word-focused communication leaves.

 Visual communication is the art of passing information to people by the use of gestures, images, signs, posters
and short films advertisement among others. Visual communication is the most effective way of passing
information because the human mind processes things in images. The majority of people respond quickly to
visual images instead of texts. Any business needs to understand the cognitive functions to maintain
customers. Any form of advertisement should use images and graphics because it will have a great impact on
boosting your business.

The use of visual communication is massively growing among business. Over 84% of all marketing
strategies use images, popular GIFs, graphics, animations, and signs among others to pass information.
Visual communication has more impact in passing information to people.

The following are reasons as to why visual communication is important.

1. It saves time
It is easier to process a visual signal quickly than to read a sentence of a paragraph full of text. An image will pass a lot of
information within a short a time because one image can have a thousand words. Research shows that the brain processes images
60,000 times faster than texts. With this background information, it will save you time when using visuals to communicate to
people. Rather than loading an advertisement with words, it is highly beneficial to utilize visuals to effectively pass a message within a
short time.

2. It is clear

Visual communication improves the clarity of information. You easily fall in love with a book of a movie because of the graphics
used on the front cover or trailer respectively. This is the same way customers fall in love with products and services depending on how
they are advertised by using images and graphics. When using images for business advertisements, use simple and clear graphics that
will pass the same message to the targeted audience to avoid confusion.

3. It helps in achieving consistency

This is mainly achieved by using same colors of the original product or company to advertise. The use of logos and consistent
colors boost the brand image of the business. The company’s colors should be used in all form of marketing and advertisements. Also,
using consistent images, logo and colors make it easy for people to identify a product with the company. Build brand awareness of your
company or organization by using visual communication.

4. Gives better retention of information

Since the human brain processes information in image form, a person will be able to retain visual information for long. People
easily forget what they hear or read easily but retain images for long. This is because images are stored in long-term memory, and
words and texts are stored in short term memory. A study conducted on active learning showed that 10-20% of the participants were
able to remember spoken and written information while over 50% of visuals and images was remembered. It is important to aim at
retention of information when passing marketing products and services.

5. It is simple

The illiterate can understand visual communication hence makes it an effective communication method to all. Its simplicity
makes it easy for people to understand the information. Coming with an appropriate image for an advertisement may take time, but the
end result is usually simple and understandable to all groups of people. The main reason as to why you still remember road signs is
because they are simple, clear, and memorable.

6. It is flexible

Flexibility in visual communication makes it better than verbal communication. For instance, if you are looking forward to advertising a
product to millions of people across different cultures, you may consider using images and graphics. This is because they are flexible
and can be understood by different people. Verbal communication will be limited to language, and some terminologies may not be
similarly understood by different cultures. Images are more flexible than words.

7. It is effective and easier to explain difficult concepts

Visual communication is one of the most effective ways of sending information. The main reason lies in the cognitive function of the
human brain. Nowadays, images and graphics have flooded the advertising field because of the effectiveness of visual communication.
The mind remembers images faster than words or texts.

8. It is popular

People love watching images, GIFs, graphic videos rather than listening to words or an advertisement. If you are running a
business, you will easily catch the attention of potential customers by using visuals, images, GIFs in advertising. Social media platforms
like Facebook encourage ads to have fewer words and more graphics. Also, visuals stimulate the emotions of the people making them
respond quickly to an advertisement.

9. It Increases Engagement

Visual communication can be a powerful tool for reaching potential customers. It’s an effective way to make your brand more
memorable, as iconic ads can become widely known and remembered. To engage viewers, incorporate high-quality images and videos
into content, tailor visuals to the audience, and use visuals to capture their interest. Visual communication also has the power to inspire
change or evoke emotion through symbols and visual metaphors. Plus, it helps build trust with customers by creating a positive first
impression that encourages action.

10. Brand Value and Brand recognition and Identity

Visual communication is an important part of any brand. It can be used to create a recognizable and consistent identity, which can
help to build trust with customers. Good visual communication can also make your brand more memorable, which can help it stand
out from the competition.