We live in a digital world. Visual communication is more important than ever. Recent studies have shown we’ve all increased the amount of time we spend staring at screens – by a lot! But you hardly need studies to tell you this – you’re on a screen right now! All this screen staring has a significant impact on how people consume content today. We are more selective and have shrinking attention spans.  

Our digital environment is super saturated. Businesses know it and are using a wide range of content in as many places as possible, making it hard for audiences to keep up. There’s simply so much content out there, people are tuning out. There’s a sea of content competition and online clutter. So how can companies battle shrinking attention spans, screen fatigue, and all the noise? 

Let’s talk about attention spans for a moment. They’re shrinking at an alarming rate if you’re a business or marketer. In 2000, our average attention span for consuming content was about 12 seconds. By 2015, that figure had shrunk to just 8.25 seconds. That means we have a shorter attention span than a goldfish. Yikes! 

Fighting the shrink. One way to capture attention is by creating visually engaging, entertaining, and relevant content. Think of it like this: it’s much easier to grab someone’s attention with visually appealing content than without. Words are awesome, but people have to take notice before they read. They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to choosing where to devote your attention, it’s our default method. 

Strong visual communication brings muscle to the front and is really the only way to dazzle audiences. We buy things all the time based on their packaging alone. Take a walk through the local bottle shop and check out the wineries that rely on visual communication to persuade shoppers to read more. It works. So what exactly is strong visual communication? And can it power your brand?   

How to Stand Out Through Effective Visual Communication Design

Visual communication design is a new term but is the evolution of graphic design. As a discipline, it aims to represent information effectively in visual form – using graphics and visual icons. When done well, it creates clear meaning in the absence of words. 

How does great visual communication design work? It involves all the usual tricks of the trade like understanding your audience and the purpose of the information you’re sharing. Add in a foundation built on context, distribution, and how to engage – and you have a winning formula. Designers take these elements and transform them into visual meaning creating a range of colours, shapes, and compelling graphics that convey meaning, key messages, and grabs attention.  

A picture is worth a thousand words… or clicks. Carefully crafted visual designs are a powerful tool. The best designs should elicit an emotional response and influence brand perceptions. We all know that a brand is actually how your audiences perceive you (not just what you say) and that emotional connections build long-term success. 

Brands compete for mental availability. In tech, SaaS, and all service-based businesses the game is on for taking up space in people’s brains. We call this mental real estate. Brands need to be easily found in people’s minds when they have a need to buy. A brilliant way to do this is by pairing information with kick-ass visual graphics to improve the ability to recall information from memory compared to using written content alone. The more powerful, creative, and emotive your visuals are, the better you can prime your audience to be curious, engaged, and ready to take action.

Triple your impact with the right pairing. In addition to being more impactful than using only words, effective visual communication design allows you to get your message across faster. Don’t forget – most people only read 28 per cent of text on a web page! So pairing your copy with expertly-crafted graphics provides an extra layer of clarity and power to content. It’s also easier to convey concepts with both words and imagery, so you can avoid mixed messages too. 

Want to see visual communication design in action? You’re likely more familiar than you think with the power of visual communication. Have you ever seen an infographic, diagrams, icons, symbols, social media graphics, or graphic design? That is visual communication design in action. The most effective designs help businesses stand out, make information easier to digest and bring fun and accessibility to suit all audiences. 

Top 4 Benefits of Great Visual Communication 

1. Visual communication is universal. Bespoke and unique designs allow your information to cater to a wider audience than relying on words alone. Effective visual communication design is more easily understood by a broader range of people. “Beyond obvious benefits such as clarity, approachability and efficiency, imagery can also transcend language or socio-economic barriers.” – Belinda Wall, Brand Amplified.
   
2. Visual communication works faster. People process visual information 60,000 times faster than text. So when it comes to beating out the competition, speed matters. Data, unfortunately, isn’t always easy to read or understand, so portraying it with primary design elements can take out the confusion. As leaders in their field, Giorgia Lupi and David McCandless capture data in a visually eloquent way for easy digestion and understanding.
3. Visual communication brings clarity. Need to simplify complex products or processes? Try visual communication designs. Whether it’s a poster, a video, an interactive graphic, or a logo mark, it helps people grasp meaning quickly. Think of signage! 

Check out this example of product architecture explained with one simple visual.

4. Visual communication elevates your brand… and identity. Brand identity is about so much more than just a logo. A truly great brand identity reflects your company’s values, mission, and purpose. It’s not an afterthought, but a powerful weapon for progressive companies who want to compete and dominate the market.

Creating Visual Communication that Converts  

At Hunt & Hawk, we live and breathe visual communication design! We know how to elevate brands by creating amazing visual content. If you’re ready to communicate more effectively and bring in the power of visual communication to stop your audience in their tracks, reach out. Or if you’d like to chat about the power of visual communication, drop us a line at hello@huntandhawk.com, or add us to your inbox by subscribing for more awesome ideas and follow the team at Hunt & Hawk on LinkedIn.