It is commonly asserted that a picture can convey more meaning than 1000 words. But what if you had to read those 1000 words and another 1000 words to understand all the concepts?
How engaging and interesting would it seem?
Maybe in a novel, yes. But when people are on a time limit to convey (the presenter) and understand (the audience), it is wise to deploy all means that will make communication easier.
That involves using visual communication to convey information in the best possible way.
This article sheds light on visual communication and its importance in presentations.
What is Visual Communication?
Visual communication involves using elements, such as diagrams and charts, infographics, images, animations, etc., to convey concepts, information, emotions, and thoughts. It helps you simplify complex concepts and enable better understanding for the audience.
It encompasses two aspects – visual communication strategy and design. Key to a presentation’s overall format, the former will help you minutely strategize your slides based on the reaction you seek from people.
The latter is the actionable part, helping you create what you envisioned. Together, they will help you choose and deliver the proper visual layout for your presentation slides.
What is a Visual Presentation?
A visual presentation strategically arranges visual elements such as color, typography, images, infographics, interactive dashboards, etc., to convey information, persuade, and simplify concepts.
Visual presentations are not like traditional presentations, which are text-heavy. The goal is to prioritize design principles to create an intuitive and dynamic experience.
Aligned with cognitive human patterns, the presentations do not just share information – the goal is to let the audience process information quickly and remember it for longer.
How can Visual Communication Improve Your Presentations?
Visuals make communication easy since they don’t require much translation or language use. They’re one of the most effective communication strategies, applicable to all industries and fields.
1. Improves Clarity
Visuals help present data, complex processes, and concepts in a way that text alone is difficult to illustrate.
Thus, they make it easier for the audience to grasp what’s presented. You can also use them to connect the dots and establish relationships between different things, aiding overall understanding.
Use charts, diagrams, illustrations, infographics, etc., to break down information into digestible chunks to make your data more transparent and comprehensible.
2. Heightens Engagement and Retention
For obvious reasons, visuals are more engaging than big blocks of text. Colorful and engaging images, videos, and illustrations can really interest people, helping them process information faster and remember the concept better.
Using different elements will also make your presentation more inclusive and dynamic, keeping all audience members with different learning styles hooked.
3. Better Accessibility
Visuals can help you reach and appeal to a wider audience, such as people whose strong suit may not be verbal or written communication. Also, visuals are more adaptable to different cultural contexts, giving them more versatility in effective communication.
4. Adds Context and Meaning
Visuals can be used to underline and add more meaning and context to your message, giving it more credibility. It will help the audience understand the relevance of your words easily.
Visuals elicit emotions, making them a powerful tool for communication. You have better chances of driving the message home with practical and sharp visuals.
Also, ideas and concepts are easier to transmit visually.
Types of Visual Communication Techniques
These are the building blocks that form the visual structure and layout. Because they all have psychological significance, they are essential for an effective visual design. Let’s explore.
(i). Geometric Shapes
Different shapes have different meanings, such as circles denote completeness, lines show connection, rectangles represent stability, and triangles portray up and forward motion. Whatever shape you go for can set the tone for your presentation due to its subliminal and cultural perceptions.
(ii). Images and Storytelling
Images are integral parts of storytelling. You can turn your slides into a pictorial presentation of your narrative, structuring it the way you want.
However, remember to avoid stock photography, as overused pictures can adversely affect your presentation. Custom images make your content unique and add integrity, which only a well-crafted visual strategy can achieve.
(iii). Layout and Visual Hierarchy
The audience scans your content visually. When it is organized in a way that helps people absorb information subconsciously, engagement and interest are smooth and hassle-free.
The purpose is to place the content in people’s line of sight, like the Z or F reading pattern, enabling easy following of the content and smooth comprehension of the information.
(iv). Typography
The shape and type of letters can bring meaning to the content of your presentation. There are serifs and sans serifs, the former a little serious and the latter more friendly and easygoing.
Each type has a personality of its own that emanates through the content. When choosing typography, make sure the visual style matches the tone and message of the overall content.
(v). Color
In design, colors are an element that can elicit emotional reactions from people. Each color has its distinct meaning, association, and feeling, which can be combined to create color palettes that share a complete visual narrative.
Blue and grey can be used for a corporate presentation. Similar vibrant colors are great for depicting happiness and inspiration. Muted, desaturated, and pastel colors give a calmer and more inviting feeling. So, learn the color theory and choose the combinations according to what you want to convey in your presentation.
(vi). Icons
Icons can tell a story from slide to slide in your presentation. However, remember to be consistent and maintain visual unity between the icons you choose in terms of size, color, and positioning. It will make your slides look more coherent and polished.
(vii). Infographics
Infographics are at the core of visual design. They help simplify and present data that can otherwise take up a lot of space on slides. Data visualization makes communication exciting and digestible.
(viii). Charts and Graphs
Statistics, data, and other quantitative evidence provide credibility to your presentation, helping people trust the content better. However, charts and graphs can make the information more catchy and interesting instead of presenting it plainly, like directly from an Excel sheet.
Numerous presentation tools make the customization of charts and graphs easy and convenient. Use them to tell a story and make your data more digestible.
(ix). GIFs and Videos
The human eye quickly follows and is drawn towards movement, making GIFs and videos great choices for visual communication.
Moving images are a great addition to presentations, provided they are used sparingly. GIFs are informal and funny and can illustrate or highlight something.
Keep your videos short, around 30 seconds. Videos can convey a lot of information in a short span of time, and they can make the content more interesting by showing client testimonials, product tutorials, guided tours, etc.
(x). Diagrams
Diagrams are a great way to depict relationships between different elements. For instance, you can use a flowchart to show a process or a Venn diagram to illustrate similarities or differences between two concepts.
(xi). Emojis
Emojis can be used to visualize thoughts and emotions in a more engaging way, such as a thumbs-up to show agreement.
Mistakes to Avoid in Visual Presentations
Here’s a list of mistakes you should avoid at all costs.
- Visual clutter can overload your slides, leaving your audience overwhelmed. It will not only dilute the message but also make it difficult for people to discern what’s genuinely important. A slide crammed with attention can split people’s attention and consequently affect comprehension and retention.
- Misuse or unthoughtful use of colors can have detrimental effects on the presentation. For instance, poor contrast or culturally insensitive choices can confuse the audience and ruin the credibility of your message. Using red to denote growth or green to denote warning can be misinterpreted by audiences used to associating them in the vice versa scenario.
- Alternating fonts or inconsistent styling can create an incoherent and disjointed experience, distracting people from the key message.
- Data visualization errors like using 3D in charts can distort perception and obscure important information.
- Neglecting the use of white or negative space is another mistake you shouldn’t make. The design elements provide breathing room to a slide and improve readability by enhancing the important elements. Cramped layouts can create cognitive strain, impairing people’s ability to discern information.
In a Nutshell
Visuals can turn your presentation from dry-text-heavy blocks to enjoyable, understandable, memorable narratives.
The effectiveness of these presentations is in balancing aesthetics with functionality, keeping the content valuable and engaging.
However, use it wisely, as overstuffing with irrelevant or low-quality visuals can have a contradictory effect.
Use the tips mentioned above to craft compelling slides that balance visuals with text and engage the audience in the maximum way possible.
