Visual Communication is a way that people communicate and share information through images and visuals. Learn the definition and importance of visual communication, and explore. The history of image communication through some examples, and take a look at the theory behind semiotics. It includes signs, graphic designs, films, typography, and countless other examples.
Defining Visual Communication
Imagine that you’re on vacation in a foreign city, and you get lost while driving. If you were at home, you could stop and ask someone for directions. But here, you don’t speak the language very well, so asking for directions won’t do much good. Instead, you can rely on a map, using landmarks, routes, and familiar signs. Which successfully leads you back to your hotel.
Visual communication is the transmission of information and ideas using symbols and imagery. It is one of three main types of communication, along with verbal communication (speaking) and non-verbal communication (tone, body language, etc.). Visual communication is believed to be the type that people rely on most.
Why is visual communication important?
Visual communication is important because it can be an impactful way for an organization to communicate meaning and information related to a brand, product, or service. Businesses may also use visual aids when presenting information to their employees. Some reasons that visual communication may be an important tool for a company include:
- Sharing information efficiently: Using visual aids and visual communication tools can help organizations share an idea faster than an audio clip or written advertisement, potentially allowing them to save time and resources. Images and video may be able to capture an audience’s attention and keep them engaged better than text-heavy content.
- Offering a consistent brand experience: Visual communication allows audience members to have a consistent brand experience as they view or watch the information you present to them, which may include various colors, logos, or other marketing components. This can encourage them to associate various words or pictures with the company you represent.
- Delivering a clear message: If an organization’s marketing content contains a substantial amount of text, its message and purpose may be difficult for readers to understand, so using visual aids and graphics can ensure that it delivers a clear and consistent message. Alternatively, they may use videos or animations to explain information to an employee team.
How to Use Good Visual Communication?
Follow these steps to effectively use visual communication strategies for a variety of internal and external business activities:
1. Identify the goal of your Communication
Depending on whether you create a visual aid to convey a message to internal members of an organization or communicate and interact with consumers, the goal of your content may vary. You can begin to create an image, video, or infographic by determining the purpose of sharing information with a particular audience, and clearly defining the information you plan to convey. This can help you and your team understands why you’re using a visual communication strategy.
Some communication goals may include:
- Making comparisons: A company may use a visual communication strategy to make a comparison between two data sets, products, or systems. Professionals can use visual tools such as graphs, tables, pie charts, and photographs to convey the similarities or differences between two things or show how they are two parts of a greater whole.
- Conveying information: If you have a data value or piece of information that others can understand without extensive context and explanation, you can use a visual aid to present this to other members of your team or prospective consumers. This can help communicate important details or facts without requiring viewers to spend additional time reading.
- Demonstrating relationships: Companies can also use visual communication strategies to convey and demonstrate correlations between variables. This can allow professionals to provide information to internal members of the organization or show consumers the impact of a company’s products and services by highlighting the relationship between data values.
2. Develop a consistent Visual brand
For external communication, it’s important to develop a consistent and recognizable brand and ensure that any visual content you and your team members develop aligns with overall brand imagery. This can ensure all aspects of your consumer-facing marketing campaign are.
Related: What is Visual Communication? How to use good Visual Communication?
Such as social media posts, flyers, and email newsletters, which cohesively align with the company’s image. This may include using the same color scheme, uniform headers, and footings. Integrating the organization’s logo across all documents,s or using the same symbols and icons throughout the visual content.
3. Capture images and Messages that Inspire You
One simple way to begin to use visual communication strategies is to take screenshots or screen recordings of images and messages that your team or target audience may find inspirational. This allows you to share content efficiently and communicate a message without requiring original content or branding.
You can send a screenshot to internal members of your organization, to motivate them through the workweek, or help them understand an upcoming branding concept. You can add screenshots to a variety of other content, including presentations and corporate emails.
4. Translate your notes into Visual Content
Once you’ve explored using visual communication tools that don’t require you to create your content, you can translate your notes and turn them into visual tools such as images and videos. You may have written information related to the company’s sales performance, brand strategies, or onboarding procedures.
You can transform this into visual content that is easy for your audience to understand and remember also use your notes to create a video script and create a recording that others can watch to learn about the information you’re presenting.
