How can you design visual cues to help people understand complex information?

1 Know your audience

The first step to design effective visual cues is to know who you are communicating with and what they need to know. Different audiences may have different expectations, preferences, and prior knowledge about the topic, so you need to tailor your visual cues accordingly. For example, if you are presenting a technical report to a non-technical audience, you may want to use simple icons, graphs, or diagrams to illustrate the main points, rather than complex tables, formulas, or jargon. Knowing your audience also helps you to empathize with their emotions, motivations, and challenges, and to design visual cues that appeal to their values, interests, and goals.

3 Use colors wisely

Colors are an incredibly powerful visual cue for communicating complex information, as they can evoke emotions, create contrast, and highlight key points. However, you must use colors judiciously, as they can also distract, confuse, or offend your audience when used inappropriately. To use colors effectively, create a consistent and harmonious color scheme that matches your brand, topic, and tone. Contrasting colors can be used to draw attention to important elements or to differentiate categories or groups. Warm colors (red, orange, yellow) should be used to convey excitement, urgency, or danger; cool colors (blue, green, purple) should be used to convey calmness, trust, or professionalism; and neutral colors (white, black, gray) should be used to balance your design and to create a background or a border. Ultimately, use colors sparingly and strategically and avoid using too many colors or colors that clash or blend.

5 Vary fonts and sizes

Fonts and sizes are a great way to communicate complex information, as they can create hierarchy, emphasis, or contrast. However, to ensure that your information is readable and consistent, you need to use fonts and sizes that are appropriate for your style, theme, tone, audience, and context. Aim for fonts that are simple, legible, and professional without too many embellishments or variations. Additionally, make sure the fonts you use are compatible with each other and do not clash or compete for attention. When it comes to sizes, use them sparingly and strategically to create hierarchy, emphasis, or contrast. Avoid using too many sizes or sizes that are disproportionate or inconsistent.

6 Test and refine

The final step to design effective visual cues is to test and refine your design, based on feedback, data, and results. Doing so helps you evaluate its effectiveness, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and make improvements or adjustments. To do this, you should test your design with a representative sample of your audience and ask for their opinions, reactions, and suggestions. Additionally, test your design with different devices, browsers, and platforms to check for errors, glitches, or inconsistencies. Measure its impact by testing it with different metrics such as engagement, retention, conversion, or satisfaction. Finally, refine your design based on the feedback, data, and results and make changes or updates as needed. It's important to refine your design iteratively and continuously in order to keep learning and improving your skills.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?