Thinking in pictures: Expert tips on visual communication
Are organisations missing a trick by not using visual communication more at work? Although a picture says a thousand words, many are quick to disregard it as a brilliant option for sharing internal comms messages – perhaps because it doesn’t feel quite ‘serious’ enough?
Memes, GIFs and emojis, are embedded into everyday life and are creeping more into work life too. Microsoft Teams makes it just as easy to share a GIF with co-workers as it is on WhatsApp with friends and family, fully embracing this form of visual communication withinwork environments. Sometimes a GIF injects the perfect sprinkle of humour and understanding - it can create a deep bond. All in the space of three seconds.
Visual communication can be used in all sorts of ways to help remember things, explain ideas, and communicate better.
It can help to clarify conceptual understanding too. Colleagues might think they have the same shared understanding of a term or strategy or agreed idea, but in fact they’ve assumed different things. Using pictures, graphics or drawings - anything visual - can sometimes reveal differences in how people have understood something. If one person draws out a diagram of how they’ve conceived something, is that also how someone else visualises it?
So, for those trying to make messages resonate, it might be time to start embracing visual communication more at work.
4 tips to get comfortable using visual communication
In a recent episode of the ‘Speak to the human’ podcast, Acteon’s Sarah Abramson spoke with Hannah Williams of Scribble Inc - a live illustrator who uses visual storytelling to capture ideas as people speak at events and workshops. They explored how this type of visual storytelling can be used to capture and communicate ideas, and how anyone can cultivate those skills without being an amazing artist.
Hannah says we could all use illustration to help us in oureveryday lives. She suggests starting small, by embedding these tiny habits:
- Add little icons to your lists - instead of writing ‘apple’ add a drawing of one.
- Use borders in your notes and add icons to them.
- Need to email someone? Draw a little email icon as a reminder in the border.
- If something’s important, pop it in a box and add a little shadow to it.
Listen to the podcast
For more insights into what visual communication reveals about how we process ideas, and how drawing things out can reveal different understanding, listen to Acteon’s episode of ‘Speak to the human’ with Hannah Williams on visual communication.
Visual communication in learning and communication campaigns:
For a few examples of how visual communication can be used for engaging employees, check out…
- Who's too cool for data privacy? Making the dull messages of GDPR meaningful for Condé Nast.
- How do you help colleagues adapt to fast-changing requirements? Bringing learning, communication and neuroscience together for Co-op Funeralcare.
- A campaign embedded in Co-op's values and culture with a sprinkle of surprise and humour.