{"id":13355,"date":"2020-10-20T15:20:15","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T13:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powtoon.com\/blog\/?p=13355"},"modified":"2020-10-29T20:03:58","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T18:03:58","slug":"what-makes-visual-communication-so-effective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powtoon.com\/blog\/what-makes-visual-communication-so-effective\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes Visual Communication So Effective?"},"content":{"rendered":"Read Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes <\/span><\/span>\n

You\u2019ve heard that visual communication<\/span> is essential to your marketing and messaging strategies. But why does it matter? Here is the science behind visual communication<\/a> \u2014 and the stats that will make you a believer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"This<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Science Behind Visual Communication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Humans are visual creatures. Our eyes were designed to continually scan and process the environment, quickly identifying and assessing a vast array of visual information. The eyes shift unconsciously three times per second<\/a> to take in familiar concepts and assess where to scan next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study by MIT neuroscientists identified that the human brain can process images they see for as little as 13 milliseconds<\/a>. That\u2019s thirteen-thousandths of a second or the equivalent of about 75 images each second<\/em>. The key to this speed is one-way processing, also known as feedforward processing. This means the communication isn\u2019t reciprocal; the brain doesn\u2019t need to contemplate a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, the brain has to conduct multiple processes to convert text into recognizable concepts. When eyes scan a page of text (like this blog post!), each word is recognized as a picture and associated with a concept from a brain-based visual dictionary<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simultaneously, the brain converts the word to sound and we \u201chear\u201d the word in our heads. This process is repeated multiple times for each word in a text string and then goes through a separate process of reading comprehension<\/a> to understand the message that the words are trying to convey in combination<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple brain regions involved in effectively comprehending the written word, and while the exact amount of time it takes for text to navigate the correct neurological pathways and interpret the message varies from person to person, one thing is clear: reading text<\/strong> it\u2019s far slower than the brain\u2019s ability to process visual images.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visual Processing Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the visual processing<\/span> of images such as an innate and efficient human function, it makes sense to target this process to make your marketing and communication efforts most effective. The stats back it up, too. Consider the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n