In today’s fast-paced world, where attention spans are shorter than ever, visual communication is an important tool for sharing messages clearly and effectively.
From compelling videos to engaging photography, the way we present information visually can impact how it is received and understood. Here’s how visual communication strategies can benefit your business, with guidance from Kaleel Munroe, vice president of brand and creative at Caraway.
What is visual communication?
Visual communication is the strategic use of visual elements to convey information. Common visual communication formats include graphics, photos, videos, animations, web design elements, charts, and infographics. Organizations use visuals to create informative and emotionally engaging content, often pairing them with copywriting and audio strategies for maximum impact.
For example, a wool sweater company could preemptively address customer concerns by featuring a video showing its ethical shearing process in action, with shearers working gently and taking care not to hurt the sheep.
Why use visual communication techniques?
The right visual aid can enhance everything from marketing emails to social media posts. Kaleel Munroe, vice president of brand and creative at Caraway, visual imagery is an optimal form of communication because it helps customers bridge the gap between online shopping and real life.
“Key visuals help paint a clear and visceral picture for that interested and curious shopper that allows our products to pop off their screens,” Kaleel says.
Here are three key benefits of implementing visual communication strategies:
Simplifies complex concepts
An effective visual presentation can simplify intricate concepts, helping audiences grasp your message in as little as 13 milliseconds—faster than the brief moment our eyes close during blinks—according to MIT neuroscientists.
“Successful visuals never leave you guessing and rarely need explaining,” Kaleel says.
For example, an athletic shoe brand could design an infographic to illustrate why its wide toe box design is better for foot health than competitors. It can quickly and easily convey its unique selling proposition by visually contrasting its roomy design with a cramped foot in a competitor's shoe.
Evokes strong emotional responses
Visual communication often evokes deeper empathy, as viewers can recognize and relate their own experiences to what they see.
For example, saying a kid dropped their ice cream doesn’t carry as much emotional weight as showing an image of a crying child with an empty cone next to a scoop of melting ice cream on the sidewalk. Even simple visual images, like emojis, can use colors and expressions to spark an emotional connection.
Kaleel explains that ecommerce businesses, in particular, need to evoke emotions to digitally simulate the in-person shopping experience.
“As a brand that is mostly bought online, it’s so important to recreate the feeling of experiencing our products in real life,” says Kaleel.
Appeals to different learning styles
Creating brand materials in multiple media types makes your content more accessible. A 2022 study by the Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning found that almost half of subjects preferred visual learning techniques. Adding visual resources like images or graphics increases the likelihood that your content resonates with a wide audience.
6 visual communication examples
Visual communication can be as simple as a thumbs-up emoji or as complex as a documentary film. Here are some popular visual content formats, with inspirational examples of visual communication from direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce brands Caraway and Blueland:
1. Videos
Video is a powerful audio-visual storytelling format that can capture your audience’s attention, evoke emotion, and educate. This versatile medium ranges from short clips to full-length films.
Kaleel and the Caraway team use video to proactively answer customers’ questions about the product at various stages of their buying journey, such as:
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Caraway offers so many beautiful colors—which one is going to look perfect in my kitchen?
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I just unboxed everything—how should I set up the storage organizers inside my cabinets?
Caraway also produced a video for social media featuring a dinner recipe made using its Dutch oven and baking sheet. The soft pop music in the background and warming visuals helped associate a feeling of comfort and hominess to its products.
Kaleel hopes to broaden the use of video as the brand grows.
“In the future, we hope to offer scannable QR codes when you unbox every product that leads to helpful and instructional videos that are chock full of information and recipe content to help you get started on your Caraway journey,” says Kaleel.
2. Charts
Charts can depict complex data in a digestible format. You might include charts in a presentation to simplify complex information and quickly illustrate your point. Bar charts are useful to plot amounts by category, line charts show change over time, pie charts show how parts relate to the whole, and scatter plots can be used to show clusters.
For example, eco-friendly cleaning company Blueland uses a bar graph to present information about landfill decomposition rates. Its use of visual information makes it easier to immediately understand the disparity between paper and styrofoam products.
3. Infographics
Infographics are similar to charts but don’t rely on numerical data. These visual resources combine data, facts, graphic design, and other visuals to explain complex ideas in a digestible format.
Caraway uses infographics in its marketing and advertising content to help customers make purchase decisions. It tries to anticipate user needs and develop visual aids to simplify complex topics into an at-a-glance takeaway.
4. Photography
Photography plays a large part in your marketing and branding efforts. Lifestyle and product photography work together to create a cohesive image of your company and its offerings.
Your photography style (e.g., high-contrast, black and white, natural light, or vibrant) can also signal brand values to your target audience. Elements like light and shadow can communicate mood, while composition—the arrangement of visual elements within a frame—can guide viewers to important information. Your choice of subject—the main person, object, or animal—can appeal to specific target audiences who see themselves or their lifestyle reflected in your brand.
Caraway uses product photography to help consumers understand what they’re purchasing and lifestyle photography to provide context for real-life usage and spark consumer desire.
5. GIFs
Animated GIFs are short and engaging. They’re an effective way to capture attention, demonstrate product features, express your brand personality, and participate in social media trends.
Caraway uses short, animated GIFs to add visual interest to product pages. For example, a GIF on the “Caraway Favorites” product page demonstrates how its frying pan’s natural nonsticking feature works in practice.
6. Graphics and graphic treatments
Graphic elements add visual appeal to websites, photos, and videos. Visual elements like icons, illustrations, and text overlays help brands establish a visual identity and convey information. Blueland, for example, uses a series of icons paired with short descriptions to immediately communicate sustainability, affordability, and show social proof.
Visual communication FAQ
What’s an example of effective visual communication?
The classic warning symbol—an exclamation mark inside of a triangle—is an example of effective communication to visually communicate danger.
How should visual communication be used in a marketing strategy?
You can use visual communication to explain the benefits of your products in an engaging way. Visual tools like images and videos can help marketing teams capture attention and create emotional connections with customers.
Why does visual communication work?
Visual tools like graphs, charts, and maps appeal to visual learners. Including imagery makes your content accessible to a wide range of people. Other forms of visual communication are effective because they create emotional appeal, sparking empathy.
