Design Musts for Great Visual Communication

Welcome to Pushing Pixels post #2! If you haven’t read our first post about brand colors, I suggest you take a little detour (don’t worry, I’ll wait!). Ok, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m here today to teach you a little bit about design as it applies to the principles of visual communication. Read on for why good visual design is even more important than text, and how you can utilize it to communicate more effectively with your audience!

Stand out!

If your competitors are all doing the same thing, why would you even bother with it? Visual communication allows you to convey more than just words and numbers. It gives context to data, catches the viewer’s attention, and aids in brand recall!     

Catching (the right kinds of) attention is the ultimate goal, here. Your imaging should be brand-appropriate! If you’re not sure about how branding for design works, read our previous post here.

If you can illustrate it, do!

Why use words when a visual would work? The human brain is wired to process visual stimuli much faster than the written word, making images the best choice for places where every second counts (like your website!).

Images and visual communications have been proven to aid in brand recall, messaging retention, and influencing positive feelings associated with a brand or message.

Less text, please!

As we said before, the human brain processes images up to 60,000 times faster than text.  Also, pages with images or video garner up to 94% more views than their text-only counterparts. This translates to more traffic for you, which means higher conversion and ultimately more money!

The brain has to work harder to process text, and in our always-connected, constantly mobile world, working harder adds a layer of friction to your audience interactions. Most people will simply skip over text and try to absorb what they need from images, icons, and bullet points, so utilize these to ensure your message is heard!

When in doubt, animate!

Studies show a significant boost in recall when viewing animation. This can influence purchase decisions! People also share brands they recall with others, so the more mindshare you have, the more potential customers you can obtain.

Interactivity added to something as simple as a normal exit-intent pop-up can improve your revenue by up to 40%! Interactivity engages all of the brain, and uses proven psychological principles to capture attention and keep them coming back for more.

Wrap Up!

If you don’t have a visual communication strategy in place yet, what are you waiting for? Start small, with simple images or custom icons that help reduce the text clutter and catch the eye of your audience. As you flesh out your strategy, adding video, animation, and interactivity can boost your revenues and aid in brand recall among your audience.  

Would you like to know more about how interactive content can be a major tool in your visual communication toolbox? Get in touch!