Information is not Communication

I think that headline is going to be my theme for 2024. Information is not communication.

You can have and share lots of information (data, content, visuals, etc.). But that does not mean that you have communicated to another human.

Prime example: this mind-boggling full-page paid advertisement in the Wall Street Journal:

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

First of all, the phrase "Birth is not fair, but opportunity must be fair" is totally obscure. What does that even mean, and why is some company saying it?

But worse, the visually overwhelming and unreadable background is, of all things, a massive list of...patent numbers.

That's right, some semiconductor company in Seoul that it would be good to display a brain-numbing list of tiny numbers, for your leisurely consumption.

As a reader, I can discern no purpose. I see no discernable message, no value proposition, no relevant application, no target audience, no call to action.

All I see is a colossal waste of money buying an ad that communicates...nothing. Who approved this? Who "designed" this?

Without a clear intention and a readily-understood message, all you have is a data dump. An excuse to turn the page (in bewilderment) as fast as possible.

Now, this is an extreme example, but the fact is, many of our presentations, emails, and marketing efforts - even lessons and sermons - are dense and/or obscure, unclear, and often full of TMI (Too Much Information) instead of a clear, simple, relevant message.

Information is not communication. If you dump it, they will leave. If you design it, you may have a chance to be heard.

Steve Woodruff (aka the King of Clarity) is the author of The Point, a handbook for designing clear, effective communication.