A BUSINESS GUIDE

TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION

A COLUMN FIVE COMPANY

WHY WORDS ALONE TABLE OF
ARENT ENOUGH CONTENTS
01 WHY OUR BRAINS LOVE VISUALS 3
As humans, we are biologically wired to process the world visually. We
The Value of Visualization 4
understand images instantlylong before we learn the language to
The Science 5
describe them. That is why visual communication is the most powerful
medium for transferring volumes of information. In a world of exponential
information growth, we crave content that is efficient, engaging and easy
02 FIND THE STORY IN YOUR DATA 6

to synthesize. Thus, communication as a whole, both in media and the Give Context 7
enterprise, is becoming increasingly visual. But successful content is not Show, Dont Tell 8
simply created from words and pictures thrown together. It is crafted with Dos and Donts of Data Visualization 9
intent, understanding and a solid framework. This guide will show you
why visual communication worksand how to make it work for you. 03 DESIGNING YOUR CONTENT 11

Your Companys Visual Language 12

10 Tips for Design 13
Design Tools Available 14
 AVERAGE CONSUMER

WHY OUR BRAINS ATTENTION SPAN

LOVE VISUALS
Through the visual system, the human brain quickly recognizes, stores and
recalls images, seamlessly and subconsciously cementing ideas in long-term
memory. This active response has always helped us remember vital
information for survival: fire is hot, lions are scary and mangoes are delicious.

Today, our concerns are less primal, but navigating our dense media
landscape is equally daunting. Using visualization to synthesize ideas is not
only an effective medium, its the type of communication our brains crave. = 8 SECONDS

*National Center for Biotechnology Information,

U.S. National Library of Medicine, The Associated Press
3
 APPEAL
Well-designed information is stimulating, attractive
and engaging. These qualities pique interest even
before information is processed. Aesthetics are not
superficial; they are how you get peoples attention.

THE VALUE OF
VISUALIZATION
We can break down the efficacy of visualization into
three core areas of value: appeal, comprehension and
retention.

You may prioritize these values, based on your

specific communication objectives.

Academic/Scientific

Marketing COMPREHENSION RETENTION

Editorial The brain is pre-wired to automatically Visualizations trigger us to pull
interpret relationships between objects, information from our long-term memory,
allowing for instant comprehension with allowing for rapid connections to already
minimal eort. Representing these stored information, which help to cement
relationships visually, as opposed to the concept in the brain.
merely describing them, means that your
message is understood quickly, clearly
and with significantly greater joy.
4
 THE SCIENCE
Our brain gathers information through
pre-attentive processing of visual cues in our
environment, which we unconsciously absorb
and filterwithin 250 milliseconds.

SHAPE SIZE Notice that your eye is naturally drawn to

these variations on the left.

WATCH A VIDEO ON THE

VALUE OF VISUALIZATION.
HUE O R I E N TAT I O N

5
FIND THE STORY Certain elements will help serve your story. In business,

IN YOUR DATA it is common to use data comparisons to uncover

interesting and useful insights, such as:
Comb through your data to find opportunities for visualization.
Look for relationships in your information, such as:

CORRELATIONS OUTLIERS
COMPARISONS HIERARCHY ANATOMY

TRENDS

CHRONOLOGY PROCESSES GEOGRAPHY

Whereas using language to explain these concepts would be lengthy and

difficult to understand, visualization can provide instant clarity.
6
 GIVE CONTEXT
Effective data visualization relies on not just the type of information visualized,
but the amount. It is a delicate balance between providing comprehensive data
that supports your story and providing more granular data that gives more BE AS SUCCINCT AS POSSIBLE.
specific insight.
The more simply you can tell your story,
Additionally, it is important to provide sufficient context to help frame your data. the more impact it will have.
You dont have to tell the entire story, nor do you have to spoonfeed insights.
But you should provide enough color to make your data meaningful and guide Remember: Audience attention spans
readers to the appropriate conclusion. are limited, and they are often looking
for an excuse to check out.

7
 ISOLATING DATA
CAN BE MISLEADING.
Although this chart shows an
impressive 100% increase in sales...

$2M

SHOW, DONT TELL

$1M

In the enterprise, our decisions are increasingly data-driven,

so it follows that much of our communication must include that
data. It is vital to understand how to best communicate this
20 12 20 1 3
data in a way that is digestible, accurate and meaningful.
...a more comprehensive data set shows a
different story; that increase is minor compared
to the significant drop the year before.

THE TRUE VALUE OF DATA VISUALIZATION

LIES IN ITS ABILITY TO HELP YOU SHOW $4 M
NOT JUST TELLYOUR STORY.
$3 M

$2M

$1M

20 10 20 11 20 1 2 201 3

8
 2 | PRESENT DATA ACCURATELY:

DOS AND NO YES

DONTS OF DATA $600 $1,000

VISUALIZATION $550

$500

$500
Visualizations are highly effective, but only if they are
accurate. Not only does misinformation corrupt your $450 $0
narrative; it threatens your reputation. When including JAN FEB MAR JAN FEB M AR
data visualizations, make sure you:

1 | SELECT THE CORRECT VISUALIZATION FOR YOUR DATA TYPE: 3 | FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES FOR EACH VISUALIZATION:

NOMINAL NO YES
TIME-SERIES PART-TO-WHOLE
COMPARISON

20 1 1 20 1 2 20 1 3 2011 2012 2013

Space between bars should be roughly 1/2 the bar width.

9
 DO YOU KNOW THE THREE WAYS A BAR
CHART CAN BE ORDERED CORRECTLY?

ALPHABETICALLY

FOR MORE DATA VISUALIZATION

DOS AND DONTS, CHECK OUT:

DONA WONG
BY VALUE

STEPHEN FEW

COLUMN FIVE

SEQUENTIALLY

10
 GOOD DESIGN SHOULD BE:

DESIGNING CONSISTENT
YOUR Overall style should be similar for all
collateral produced.
CONTENT
CLEAR
Even the best story and the most compelling data Readers should be able to navigate
visualization can be jeopardized by sloppy design. content easily.
Good design is vital to creating a polished piece that
conveys your message effectively. Design is the hook
(the appeal) that draws readers in.
ENGAGING
Visuals should be attractive and reflect tone
and subject matter.

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 CHART AND VISUALIZATION TYPES ICONOGRAPHY

YOUR
COMPANYS
VISUAL
LANGUAGE COLOR T YPOGRAPHY
TYPOGRAPHY

When you communicate visually, you are HEADER LIFE EXPECTANCY

Futura Today, Demi Bold, 25 pt,
communicating in many ways, not only in the all caps, letterspacing 75,
black
Life Expectancy in World 's Most Populous Nations
Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et
content you present, but how you SUBHEADER malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Cras laoreet risus et
Futura Today, Demi Bold, 14 pt,
present it. Everything you design is a black
tellus fermentum congue. Sit amet orci tortor.

reflection of your business, which is why CHATTER

Futura Today, Light, 14 pt, HOVER FOR DETAILS

adhering to a consistent visual style is vital 18 pt leading, black

MALE FEMALE
6-Line maximum, 60-character
to establishing and preserving your brand line length maximum 80

identity. A visual language covers aspects of AXIS VALUES

Futura Today, Normal, 10 pt,
design that are used in visual content, TEMPLATES 20% gray
60

including: AXIS CATEGORIES NIGERIA

YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS A NECESSARY
Futura Today, Normal, 12 pt, 40
80% gray
MALE 49.5
InEXTENSION
some instances, font size canOF YOUR BRANDS STYLE
be reduced to 8 pt for print and
20
GUIDE, DEFINING
10 pt for web, but should never
be smaller.
HOW INFORMATION
IS VISUALIZED AND 0
PRESENTED.
CHN IND USA IDN BRA PAK

SOURCE SOURCE: The News

Futura Today, Normal, 12 pt,
50% gray
All caps, letterspacing 50

12
 1 | COLOR 6 | ILLUSTRATION
Use no more than five colors in a single Illustration should match tone and subject
layout. Color should be used sparingly to matter. Only include if it enhances the
highlight important information. content.

2 | TYPOGRAPHY 7 | ICONOGRAPHY

10 TIPS All fonts should be legible and Icons should be simple, easy to
appropriate for the communication style. understand and universal; theyre meant to
enhance comprehension, never distract.

FOR DESIGN 3 | LAYOUT

8 | DATA
Present content in a way that guides
readers through in a logical hierarchy. Dont overwhelm the reader with multiple
For non-designers, creating good-looking
Aligning the elements in a layout with graphs of single data points when one
visual content can be a challenge.
each other will help maintain consistency. combined will suffice.
Seemingly minimal design issues
can drastically affect the quality of your
communication. Pay attention to these 9 | PROPORTION
fundamentals to ensure your message
4 | CALLOUTS
doesnt get lost. Use callouts sparingly to highlight only The eye can be deceiving; make sure
key information. items are appropriately sized in data
visualizations so as not to skew data.

5 | SPACE
Keep significant negative space. When
10 | SIMPLICITY
too much information is in a layout, Avoid unnecessary design, including 3D
messaging becomes cluttered and charts, ornamental illustration or
incoherent. extraneous elements.
13
 Hi gh -Qua l i ty
Info r ma ti o n D es i gn

BE AUT IF UL
INF ORMAT ION
DE SIGN F OR ALL
D E SIG N
SO F TWA R E DESIGN TOOLS
AVAILABLE
Low C o st / CHART IN G H i g h C os t /
VISUALIZAT ION LIBRARIES
Tec hnica l SOF T WARE Te ch n i ca l
Ex p er tise Expertise
The traditional tools and design programs available
are incomplete, challenging to master or limited in
BU SINE SS
their aesthetic. Visualization software is an emerging
PRE SE NTAT ION IN TE L L I G E NCE field, providing better design tools that are easier
TO O L S
SOF T WARE
to use.

Lo w -Qua l i ty
Info r ma ti o n D es i gn

14
Visage, a Column Five company, was created because we believe
that beautiful data visualization should be available to anyone, not just
organizations that can afford design agency premiums. Our unique SaaS
application transforms the uninspired data in your reports into beautiful,
branded visualizations that make your message more impactfuland
make your work look good.

Column Five is an industry-leading visual communication agency,

specializing in infographic design and data visualization, with offices in
Newport Beach, California, and Brooklyn, New York. The company was
founded in 2009 by Ross Crooks, Jason Lankow, and Josh Ritchie,
professors of Visualization of Information at Columbia University and
authors of Infographics: The Power of Visual Storytelling (Wiley, 2012).