VISUAL
COMMUNICATION AND
PERCEPTION
REPORTED BY: RAINE ANNE GILBUENA
BTLED H.E III
VISUAL
COMMUNICATION
Visual communication is the practice
of graphically representing information
to efficiently, effectively create meaning.
There are many types of content in the
realm of visual communication, with
examples including infographics,
interactive content, motion graphics, and
more.
Examples of where visual
communication can be used include
conferences and trade shows,
websites, social media posts, office
presentations and meetings, and so
much more.
WHAT IS VISUAL PERCEPTION?
The visual perception of colors, patterns, and
structures has been of particular interest in
relation to graphical user interfaces (GUIs)
because these are perceived exclusively through
vision.
•PHYSIOLOGICALLY, VISUAL PERCEPTION
HAPPENS WHEN THE EYE FOCUSES LIGHT
ON THE RETINA. WITHIN THE RETINA,
THERE IS A LAYER OF PHOTORECEPTOR
(LIGHT-RECEIVING) CELLS WHICH ARE
DESIGNED TO CHANGE LIGHT INTO A
SERIES OF ELECTROCHEMICAL SIGNALS TO
BE TRANSMITTED TO THE BRAIN.
•VISUAL PERCEPTION OCCURS IN THE BRAIN’S
CEREBRAL CORTEX; THE ELECTROCHEMICAL
SIGNALS GET THERE BY TRAVELING THROUGH
THE OPTIC NERVE AND THE THALAMUS. THE
PROCESS CAN TAKE A MERE 13
MILLISECONDS, ACCORDING TO A 2017
STUDY AT MIT IN THE UNITED STATES.
WHY IS VISUAL COMMUNICATION SO
IMPORTANT?
• A COMMON CHALLENGE WE FACE WITH CREATING
CONTENT IS THAT WE PUT RESOURCES INTO
EXCEPTIONAL WORK THAT FAILS TO MAKE THE IMPACT
WE WANT.
HOW CAN WE AVOID THIS AND MAKE SURE THE CONTENT WE’RE
CREATING MAKES THE IMPACT WE NEED?
•LIMITED ATTENTION
•DIFFICULTIES REMEMBERING YOUR CONTENT
•FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE
TRYING TO SAY
VISUAL COMMUNICATION ADDRESSES
THREE CORE CHALLENGES
•CHALLENGE 1: LIMITED ATTENTION
THE FIRST CHALLENGE WE NEED TO
OVERCOME IS THE LIMITED ATTENTION
SPAN OF YOUR AUDIENCE.
•SINCE WE KNOW DISTRACTIONS ARE A
PROBLEM, WE WANT TO EXPLORE HOW
VISUAL COMMUNICATION CAN HELP US MAKE
OUR CONTENT AS DISTRACTION-PROOF AS
POSSIBLE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT VISUAL
COMMUNICATION HELPS US TO TRANSFORM
OUR CONTENT INTO A DISTRACTION-PROOF,
PROBLEM-SOLVING TOOL.
•BECAUSE THE LIKELIHOOD OF
DISTRACTION ONLINE IS OFTEN
CORRELATED WITH THE QUALITY OF
VISUAL INFORMATION IN YOUR CONTENT,
THE USE OF VISUALS HELPS THEM
REFOCUS AND RETURN TO THE MAIN
IDEAS IN YOUR CONTENT. VISUAL
COMMUNICATION HAS TWO CRUCIAL
BENEFITS WHEN IT COMES TO MEMORY.
•IT INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD
THAT YOUR CONTENT WILL CREATE
LONG TERM MEMORIES IN YOUR
READERS. THAT WAY, YOUR
READERS WILL REFLECT ON WHAT
THEY READ AND COME BACK LATER
FOR MORE CONTENT.
•STRONG VISUAL COMMUNICATION WILL
INCREASE READING COMPREHENSION AND
MEMORY WHILE YOUR READERS ARE STILL
READING THE CONTENT. THIS IS CRITICAL
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THEM TO EXPERIENCE
MORE INSIGHTS AND EPIPHANIES.
•HELP YOUR READERS CONNECT WITH
YOUR CONTENT BY USING THIS MODERN
DESIGN CONCEPT MAP. OUR BRAIN HAS
AN IMPORTANT AREA CALLED THE VISUAL
CORTEX. IT'S A LARGE AREA IN THE VERY
BACK, AND IT'S THE PART OF THE BRAIN
RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING IMAGES.
•BUT THERE'S ANOTHER AREA CALLED THE
BROCA’S AREA THAT IS MUCH, MUCH SMALLER.
THAT’S RESPONSIBLE FOR READING WORDS.
• WE WANT TO MAKE IT EASY ON OUR READERS
AND HELP THEM ACCESS THAT HUGE REGION OF
THE BRAIN AS OPPOSED TO MAKING THEM
STRUGGLE.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REASONS WHY WORD-
HEAVY CONTENT MAKES IT HARD ON READERS.
•WHEN WE SEE THE WORD, ‘’TREE’’WE MUST GENERATE
OUR OWN IMAGINARY REPRESENTATION OF THE WORD
BASED ON OUR MEMORIES. THIS IS BECAUSE WORDS ARE
ABSTRACT.
•THE WORD ITSELF IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER FOR
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT TREES. IF WE MAKE OUR
READERS GENERATE MEANING FROM ABSTRACTION
AFTER ABSTRACTION, THEY WILL BECOME EXHAUSTED
AND GO BACK TO SLACK, INSTAGRAM OR EMAIL.
THANK YOU!
