The Importance of Visual Aids in Communication: Graphic Recording

Is seeing believing? Pose this question to a designer and you’ll hear a loud, resounding YES in response.?

Since we were toddlers in kindergarten, we have reaped the benefits of visual learning. Think about all those charts, proudly proclaiming that ‘A’ stood for apple, complete with a photo of a shiny fruit next to it. Fast forward a couple of years, and you’ll realise that all of those unforgettable high school biology lessons are only so memorable because of all the diagrams (and the giggles, of course).

In most modern education systems the older you get, the fewer visual aids you’re provided. But there’s plenty of science backing up the benefits of visual learning. The powers of visual learning extend far beyond the field of education. Studies have also shown that visual aids also make communication more interesting, and thus, more memorable.??

How??

1. For starters, it makes content more fascinating. Even with the best public speaking skills, any long speech is likely to lose the audience’s attention at some point. But pepper in a couple of eye-catching graphics and a few snappy animations, and your chances of captivating your audience increase.?
2. Secondly, it makes content easier to consume and to remember! Our brains are wired to process visual information more rapidly than text. In fact, the Visual Teaching Alliance states that visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text. You probably don’t remember the exact contents of the book you read a couple of years ago, but an illustration or two might still float around your memory.?
3. Thirdly, visual aids make content more engaging and thus easier to pay attention to.?
4. Fourthly, visual aids classify and organise chunks of information, making it simple to understand. Visual tools like infographics have been useful for many years in breaking down complex information into more palatable, efficient bits. Key amongst these are graphic recordings.?

What is a graphic recording, you ask??

Simply put, graphic recording is visual note-taking. Graphic recording condenses conversations, presentations, meetings and workshops into a highly visual map. It's used to highlight key points, making for an attractive and memorable summary.

Graphic recordings have the dual power of engaging your audience’s visual and auditory senses. This allows them to really focus on the content. In multilingual countries, like India, graphic recording helps bridge many language gaps too.

Graphic recordings can be carried out across a variety of mediums and can take place in the real world or online. They can be used in many situations but come in most handy during planning meetings, brainstorming sessions, vision curation programs, workshops, and presentations.?

If you’re curious about getting in touch with a graphic recorder now, then you’re in luck! Ladyfingers Co. are pioneers in the field in India, with over 7 years of experience behind us. We’ve provided graphic recording services to a range of clients from different industries, including Godrej, Aditya Birla Group, PepsiCo, Bosch,? AstraZeneca, Red Hat, Virtusa, Women's Fund Asia, Intellecap, Quest Alliance, Bharat Krishak Samaj, and have even partnered with individual facilitators and moderators.

Reach out to us via email at [email protected] or DM for more information. We’d be happy to enrich your next meeting or event with the magic of graphic recording!

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