3 http://www.billiondollargraphics.com/infographics.html ... Center for Professional Development says our short-term mem
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS 7.5”x2” WHY VISUAL COMMUNICATION PREVAILS OVER TEXT HUMANS ARE HARDWIRED FOR IMAGES As babies, we didn’t need to be taught to see and remember sights. From the first time we open our eyes, our brains begin analyzing and processing visuals. We do, however, need to be taught how to read. This is a skill that is obtained through training, practice, and a hard understanding of language. So it is no wonder that our brains process words slower than they process pictures. 3,700
YEARS AGO
In order to communicate, we rely on our natural abilities to share images and ideas. We’ve been communicating for 30,000 years, but textual communication only came about 3,700 years ago.1
30,000 YEARS AGO
! OUR SENSE OF SIGHT HAS THE SAME BANDWIDTH AS A COMPUTER NETWORK.2
THE BRAIN PROCESSES VISUALS 60,000 TIMES FASTER THAN IT DOES TEXT. 3
36,000 VISUALS CAN BE REGISTERED INSIDE THE BRAIN IN 1 HOUR.4
VISUALS EVOKE EMOTIONS... and emotions are essential to the decision making process. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian states that 93% of communication is nonverbal.5 This is why universal symbols are the most effective part of safety labeling. No matter what language you speak, if you’re at the beach and you see a sign posted displaying a shark fin among the waves, you know not to get in the water. Duncan Davies, Diana Bathurst, and Robin Bathurst, The Telling Image The Changing Balance between Pictures and Words in a Technological Age. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990). http://www.ted.com/talks/david_mccandless_the_beauty_of_data_visualization#t-554895 3 http://www.billiondollargraphics.com/infographics.html 4 http://mashable.com/2013/05/01/7-types-of-digital-marketer/ 5 http://www.billiondollargraphics.com/infographics.html 1
2
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A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS 7.5”x2” WHY VISUAL COMMUNICATION PREVAILS OVER TEXT OUR BRAINS READ IMAGES INSTANTANEOUSLY, but decipher text and language in a linear, time-consuming fashion.6 The way a sentence is worded can involve a longer processing time for readers. Consider this infamous (and grammatically correct) sentence: ‘The horse raced past the barn fell.’ The confusion of the sentence could have been avoided had a visual aid been provided. Dr. Lynell Burmark, Ph.D. Associate at the Thornburg Center for Professional Development says our short-term memory is responsible for processing words and can retain only 7 bits of information at a time. This is why we are able to remember a seven digit phone number for a few minutes, but require a pen and paper if an extension is given. Images, however, are directed straight into our long-term memory.7
Today, marketers understand that a picture of a juicy, freshly grilled hamburger can speak volumes in comparison to its textual description. Because of this, advertisements rely on photographs and videos to get their message across. Marketers are spending less time writing confusing blocks of text and more time creating visuals to relay their message with a greater emotional effect. Corporate communications see spikes in engagement when they incorporate graphs and charts into presentations that would normally be text based, and company websites are utilizing proven design techniques that render well with audiences.
THE HORSE RACED PAST THE BARN FELL.
?!
VISUAL COMMUNICATION REACHES FURTHER THAN TEXT. Images, colors, and design cause viewers to make speed-of-light judgements. These judgements can greatly impact the success of a company. Take our word for it: implement some well designed visual aids into your next presentation, website, or communication effort and your viewers will be more inclined to read and remember the information. 6 7
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