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Visual Narratives

In the middle ages, stained glass windows adorned Europe’s great cathedrals and churches and helped transmit traditions through visually-rich stories.

In the middle ages, stained glass windows adorned Europe’s great cathedrals and churches and helped transmit traditions through visually-rich stories.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is visual story worth. The art of connecting with an audience through visual storytelling is in high demand precisely because of the power and connections that stories deliver an audience. When people go online, however, their time and patience are limited. They may be less inclined to read, and ready for information to be packaged in a more creative way. Visual narratives emerge as an art form that business-to-business marketers and communicators can embrace to get their attention and achieve remarkable results.

What is a visual narrative?

It is a broader content category that includes simple formats like PowerPoint presentations and banner ads and more complex forms like video and multimedia animations. The common thread is the story that is transmitted; a strong script, rich imagery, creative connections, logical transitions, and a cohesive structure (introduction, body and conclusion). Typically, they are short and always easy to follow. The goal is that a visual narrative tells a story that is so interesting that the viewer would want to watch it twice; when it passes that test, it is more likely to be shared and may even become viral.

Why is a visual narrative needed?

We live in an attention economy where people lack the time to dedicate sufficient attention to everything they need to address. Given so much competing for one’s time and attention, there’s a need to make subject matter simpler and more interesting. Naturally, it’s easier to see than to read, so a picture, image, animation, diagram, or video are logical supplements to the written word.

When does a visual narrative make sense?

Visual narratives are often a strong companions to written communications. For most organizations, they are well suited to strengthen and support existing materials, such as case studies, brochures, white papers or corporate overviews. The following outlines instances that an organization might consider to tell their story visually:

  • Case studies
  • Testimonials
  • Presentations
  • Brochures
  • Web copy
  • White papers
  • Position papers

Visual Narratives_SheffieldAll of these formats can be transformed into visual narratives. The adjacent illustration outlines a basic hierarchy of visual narratives, as well as a summary of how they can be approriately applied.

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