The Importance of Visuals
Did you know, our brains are wired to love visuals? Words may be essential for context and storytelling, but visuals can be GOLD to captivate an audience before they even bother looking for the words.
You know that phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”…? We shouldn’t, but we do. And why? Because our brains seek out the visual to decide whether we’re engaged enough to open the book. If the cover is boring, our brains don’t want to know. If the cover is colourful or engaging to our personal tastes, we’re way more likely to pick it off the shelf and give it a go. So really, whether we’re “supposed to” or not, we’re going to go ahead and say, judge those books by their covers. (N.B. We only condone this phrase when related to books, not people…)
Here are 3 fun facts about our brains and visual information…
Need some help creating your own visual information? Let’s chat: hello@bloom-creative.co.uk.
Up to 90% of what our brains process is visual…
It’s often said that up to 90% of what our brains process is visual. Although this isn’t a precise figure and differs from person-to-person, it’s a helpful way to understand how much we rely on visuals to absorb and retain information effectively.
Research shows how much faster and easier our brains process visuals compared to text or speech. Whether it's impactful imagery, strong logos, or engaging designs, visuals not only capture attention but also stay with us far longer than words alone.
Combining words with captivating visuals that are consistent with your brand identity is dynamite to grabbing attention AND keeping it.
2. Our brains process visual information 60,000 times faster…
Next time you’re strategising on how to communicate your message effectively, remember that a great visual can convey more than a thousand words—and do it in a fraction of the time (up to 60,000 times faster, according to some studies). And so, when you’re working on your storytelling in words, make sure to budget your time on the visual too.
Sharing quotes or client testimonials? Create some branded images with soundbites, maybe add in some BOLD or highlighted words that are key to your message to help them stand out more and capture attention.
3. We remember 65% of visual information after 3 days…
Do you ever scroll mindlessly through Instagram, not stopping at anything in particular and then days later you’re still thinking about a fun image that caught your eye? Or walk past a billboard, hardly registering it, but randomly see it in your mind’s eye for the rest of the week? Think of logos like Coca-Cola. You only have to see a nano-second of a glimpse of that logo and you know it’s them without any more information! Images stick!
We remember 65% of visual information after 3 days compared with 10-20% for written and spoken information. That’s a big difference…!
Enhancing your visual branding with a bold logo, emotive colours, and strategic design is key to making that memorable first impression. Your brand’s visual identity speaks volumes about your business from the moment someone sees it. Using your brand with consistency makes it more likely for your audience to remember you when they’re mindlessly scrolling.
So if they don’t have time or energy to engage with words, you can still make an impact just by using some effective visuals that tell the story, without even telling the story!
Clever right!?
Ready to play the visuals game?
1) Creating unique and consistent visuals starts with developing your brand. Our rebranding guide can help you figure out if now is the time for a rebrand, giving you things to think about and questions to ask yourself to work out what you need and how to get started!
2) Once you’ve established your brand, one helpful tool to make sure you’re using your brand to its best is having clear and simple brand guidelines to keep you on track.
3) Setting up templates so that you can easily create visuals time and time again without starting from scratch, is key to combatting the creation fatigue. (We can help you do that!)
4) Practice makes perfect! Getting your visuals right doesn’t happen overnight- you need to do it often and be ok with making some mistakes along the way. The more you do it, the more you’ll make an impact and the more your confidence will grow.
5) But don’t forget, when we judge a book by its cover, usually, we’re looking for what grabs our personal tastes. What works for one audience and one business doesn’t always work for another. Develop your own style and keep an eye out for the visuals that work for your audience and the visuals that don’t, then tweak your approach for next time.
You don’t have to go it alone, we’d love to help you! Whether you need a rebrand, a brand refresh, templates, brand guidelines or something else, we’ve got you covered. Let’s chat: book in a no-obligation discovery call or drop us an email: hello@bloom-creative.co.uk. We can’t wait to help you make an impact with your visuals!
We’re rooting for you and your business to bloom 🌱
You've got this!
Bloom Creative is a design business based in Kent who support local and national businesses with a range of services that enhance their brand and get them seen and remembered, including: quality digital content, eye-catching print design, and bespoke branding & brand refreshes.
If you’re interested in our services and/or getting to know us better, you can book in a virtual coffee break call with founder Amy Walters.
