Visual Tips to bring your project to life

Alexandra Hardwick

There’s a reason we say ‘seeing is believing’. People are visual beings. What we see makes a more immediate impression than what we read and hear. That’s why telling your town’s story with pictures as well as words can give your Town Investment Plan (TIP) greater impact.

Thanks to social media and other digital technologies, our world has become incredibly information rich – but on the flipside, many of us are time poor. Visual communications can help square this circle by conveying complex data in a simple and effective way. Below are just some of the visual cues we are exposed to on a daily basis.

What do these visual cues do?

The answer is simple. They draw our attention to important messages, telling a story to the viewer without the need for words. In the case of warning signs, conveying a message with speed and clarity can be the difference between life and death. But used poorly, images can be a distraction. To take a topical example, when news reporters were forced to broadcast from their homes during lockdown it was noticeable how a busy Zoom background detracted from viewers’ ability to follow even the most compelling story. They learned quite quickly to avoid complex or ‘busy’ images and focus on what is important.

Your organisation will have its own brand which is likely to inform your use of colours and fonts.  Once you have established a visual style, follow this throughout your TIP and supporting communications. Not only does this help give your document a professional look but it also helps readers by providing visual triggers that link content, build understanding and create familiarity.

What else do you need to pay attention to?

The hierarchy of your content is clearly important. You’ve taken the time to order it, now use visual cues to tell the story. Methods such as changing font size or the use of bold words can tell the reader where they really need to pay attention. But be consistent throughout and remember inconsistencies could distract the reader.  

Infographics are a great example of visuals simplifying complex statistics – like the information on digital technology used in the example below.  Your TIP will include plenty of economic and demographic data which could lend itself to an infographic capturing the challenges and opportunities for your town. If your organisation has an in-house design team, make use of it but, if not, there are tools (such as www.canva.com) which can help you take the DIY route.

Some of our oldest and most popular infographics are in the form of maps, which convey geographical data through an image. Including maps is important, particularly when readers may not know your town as well as you do. But don’t just cut and paste from the Ordnance Survey! Think about what you want to show. This could include administrative boundaries, centres of population, landmark buildings or businesses, and your town’s relationship to other regional centres.

Finally, consider how you can use photography to bring your town to life on the page. Where you can, show people in your pictures to highlight the human stories which have shaped your town’s vision.

Most importantly, be creative in the way you use visuals to tell your story. This is your town, your vision and your TIP.