Visual storytelling–telling your story (whether research, business or fiction) through graphics and animations–is a rising trend that’s gaining massive credibility in the world of modern communications.
Visual storytelling isn’t new, though. There’s a long, fascinating history to it. So what do cave paintings, pub signs, and graffiti have in common, and what can we learn from them?
Let’s focus on 3 things:
Less is more
Let the visual do the work
Know your audience
Here at Nifty Fox Creative, we’re all about visual storytelling. After all, it’s the simplest, most effective way to present your ideas and drive change. And that’s what we’re here to help you do.
Still, it’s often a revelation to people who are used to endless text and coma-inducing Powerpoints. But why is it such a revelation? It’s been around forever. It’s literally one of the oldest forms of communication. We’re hardwired for it. Studies show that approximately 55% of a primate’s cortex is has evolved specifically for visual processing. Compare that to a measly 3% for auditory processing (Felleman and Van Essen, 1991), and suddenly the power of a punchy infographic makes total sense. Humans have ALWAYS known that the quickest way to someone’s attention, heart, or active engagement was a really powerful picture. If you want to have an impact, if you want to change the world, go for a visual.
So what kinds of visual storytelling through the ages can we learn from now?
Visual storytelling on a cave wall: Less is more.
Keeping it simple increases impact. Take cave paintings. No one really knows what they were for because no one has stuck around from that time period to explain it to us. Sympathetic magic? A visual diary? The only thing we definitely know is that they work. They have an impact. It’s hard to look at those things without getting caught up in the scene. The awe of a window into the life of an ancient human is definitely part of it, but more than that, they work. Are they Rembrandt? No, they’re often stick figures and simple expressive shapes. Some are more complex, but here’s the thing: even the ones that literally are stick figures grab us. You don’t have to have an art degree to make compelling visuals.
Robert Brewster Stanton in Glen Canyon, Colorado River about 1893. Photo credit: The New York Public Library via Unsplash.
Of course visual storytelling CAN be very complex. Jump forward in time to the Renaissance–how about Leonardo’s The Last Supper or Bruegel’s Icarus for masterfully sophisticated storytelling in a single image? But it takes time to tease out all the meaning.
And stick figures can totally do the job. Maybe your research infographic or science animation will still be compelling people in 17,000 years. You’ll never know–but you can certainly make an impact NOW. Fun fact: you don’t need a cave wall any more! Laura has a nifty guide to 21st century tools you can use to get you started–find it here.
Also, if you’re curious (as I always am) to know where the phrase “less is more” comes from, it makes sense that it is actually rooted in visual arts. Check out this article for some fun info.
Visual storytelling in a pub sign: Let the visual do the work.
Any good writer knows that “show don’t tell” is the first rule of effective storytelling. Take that into visual storytelling and we get to the essence of instant engagement. It’s the reason graphic novels have taken off the way they have.
But even a single image tells a story.
Think about it. We all like a nice pub sign. They make us feel warm and friendly. But there’s more. The custom started when Roman tavern owners hung bunches of vine leaves outside their premises. “Wine!” said the vine leaves. “In here!” When the Romans came to Britain vines were in short supply, so taverns used bushes instead. Look for pubs called The Holly Bush or The Bull and Bush–they’re following this tradition. Later pubs started using signs to give other information: Pilgrims welcome here! (The Lamb and Flag), or: Travellers stop here! (The Coach and Horses). Want to please your local baron or prove your loyalty to the king? Try The King’s Head or The Norfolk Arms.
Way to flatter your self-obsessed monarch AND up your own status with a heraldic lion!
Side note: The ones with the power have always liked to use visual storytelling to establish dominance, too. “You must be loyal to us!” says the Bayeux Tapestry. “See our amazing victory! We are strong and mighty!” And the Assyrian Friezes in the British Museum? Showing off like crazy.
Road signs do a similar thing to the original pub signs–they give a message that’s straight to the point without a language or literacy barrier. Logos too–they connect their brand identity directly to the visual processing centre in your cortex, using consistent shapes, lines, and colours to establish their identity.
Here’s a logo we like!
Having a cracking visual is key, because it’s the visual that does the heavy lifting. After all, our brains process visual information 60,000 times faster than text, and that makes all the difference whether you’re looking for shampoo, a place to have a pint or trying to drive around Paris. (Don’t. Public transport is much easier.) The point is, a tiptop visual gets you the engagement you need in the most direct way possible.
Visual Storytelling in Graffiti: Know your audience.
What’s going to reach the people who need to hear your story? It’s fun to remember that visuals have been used as code and secret messaging. You see it all the time in graffiti discourse–there’s meaning and communication that the average passer-by can’t understand. To use another example, oral histories suggest that images in particular quilt patterns helped slaves escape from plantations in the American South to freedom in the north. We like to use images to clarify meaning, not hide it, but we will take this lesson on board: know your audience and speak straight to them. Visuals that connect your work to their need are going to have impact.
The Bear Paw symbol may have led escaping travellers to food: follow where the bear goes, find berries…
The basics of visual storytelling have stayed the same down the ages.
Keep it simple.
Let the visual do the heavy lifting.
Speak straight to your audience.
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