How do you use storytelling and narrative techniques in public affairs visuals?

2 Use a narrative structure

A narrative structure is a way of organizing your story into a logical sequence that guides your audience from the beginning to the end. A common narrative structure is the three-act model, which consists of a setup, a conflict, and a resolution. The setup introduces the context, the characters, and the problem. The conflict builds tension and challenges the status quo. The resolution offers a solution and a call to action. You can use this structure to create a visual that captures attention, creates curiosity, and inspires action.

3 Choose the right visual elements

Visual elements are the tools you use to tell your story visually, such as images, icons, colors, fonts, charts, graphs, animations, and videos. You need to choose the right visual elements for your message, your audience, and your medium. For example, you can use images that evoke emotions, icons that simplify concepts, colors that create contrast and harmony, fonts that convey personality, charts and graphs that show trends and patterns, animations that add movement and dynamism, and videos that demonstrate processes and scenarios.

4 Create a visual hierarchy

A visual hierarchy is a way of arranging your visual elements according to their importance and relevance. You need to create a visual hierarchy that helps your audience navigate your visual and understand your story. You can use different techniques to create a visual hierarchy, such as size, color, shape, position, alignment, spacing, and grouping. For example, you can use larger and brighter elements to highlight key points, use shapes to differentiate categories, use position and alignment to create order and balance, use spacing to create breathing room and focus, and use grouping to show relationships and connections.

5 Be consistent and coherent

Consistency and coherence are essential for creating a visual that is clear, credible, and professional. You need to be consistent and coherent in your use of visual elements, such as colors, fonts, icons, and charts. You need to follow a consistent style guide that defines your visual identity and brand. You also need to be consistent and coherent in your use of language, such as tone, voice, grammar, and terminology. You need to use simple and concise language that matches your audience and your message.

6 Test and refine your visual

The final step in creating a public affairs visual is to test and refine it. You need to test your visual with your intended audience and get feedback on how they perceive and interpret it. You need to ask them questions such as: Does the visual capture your attention and interest? Does the visual convey the main message and purpose? Does the visual follow a logical and engaging narrative structure? Does the visual use appropriate and effective visual elements? Does the visual have a clear and consistent style and language? Based on the feedback, you need to refine your visual and make sure it meets your goal and audience needs.

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?