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Elisabetta
#Culture
Visual Memory: 5 tips for effective communication
One of the most important tools possessed by human beings is memory. If this did not exist, we would be forced to learn everything new every day. From procedural memory to visual memory, there are different types of this tool:
- Procedural memory: that by which we remember all those behaviours that, once settled, turn into automatic processes such as swimming, cycling, driving, etc.
- Semantic memory: that is, determined by elements fixed in time, such as important dates or definitions.
- Autobiographical memory: concerns all the emotional experiences we have had, such as that perfume that evokes our childhood.
- Motor memory: which imprints on our brain the movements of our body that we are accustomed to perform every day.
- Auditory memory: that which allows us to remember certain sound sequences
- Iconic memory: which is located in recent memory, retaining visual and spatial information, for example remembering the sequence of a telephone number.
Finally, visual memory, which retains images or experiences in our brain that allow us to recognise a person in the street or something we have seen before.
Some facts about visual memory
According to several studies, our brain can comprehend images faster than a text. Let us look at some data that confirm this claim:
It seems that 90% of the information transmitted to our brain is visual and that more than 90% of our memories refer to information stored thanks to visual memory. Other studies claim that images are shared 40% more than texts.
Add to this the data on the memory capacity of human beings, in fact people tend to remember:
- 80% of what they see
- 20% of what they read
- 10% of what they hear
Visual memory as a primary learning channel
All this introduction to emphasise how we are led to remember mainly through images or through what we imagine.
Visual memory represents, for each individual, the primary learning channel through which we understand and decode reality. For example, if we tell someone the plot of a film we saw or describe an experience we had, we tend to use purely visual terms: “I saw…”, “the colours were…”, “the environment was bright” and so on.
The relevance and prevalence of sight, compared to the other four senses, is due to the direct, immediate and authentic relationship that is established between man and his environment.
The words we read can also be considered images but, due to their poor characterisation and differentiation from one another, it is very difficult to remember them. In fact, from an optical point of view, there is much less difference between words such as ‘apple’ and ‘llama’ than between the image of an apple and that of a llama, even if we just imagine them.
The sensitive and attentive sight plays a very important role, but conquering it is not affactually simple. What we take for granted is actually not: correct colour display, correct logistical positioning, choice of materials, shapes, colours, are fundamental elements on which a very important branch of visual marketing is based.
Referring to the commonly used statement ‘The eye wants its part’, it is easy to guess what lies behind the concept of Visual Marketing or Visual Marketing. This branch of marketing deals with studying the relationship between object, context and image. Visual marketing therefore places the ability of an object to be the ‘protagonist’ of visual communication at the centre of its study and analysis.
Starting from the brand and the Brand Image, it is necessary to create a “story”, an emotion, that facilitates and allows the product or service to be fully identified by the final consumer. To be successful, therefore, the image must be clear, clean, impactful and leave ‘a memory’!
Some ideas for high-impact communication
Here are some useful guidelines for efficacious communication, from word to image:
Constant graphic style
Use a consistent graphic style that preserves brand identity, through the same typeface, a universal and easy-to-understand iconography, a specific colour palette, illustrations in line with the brand’s graphic mood, etc.
Different graphic formats
Use different visual formats: info-graphics to simplify complex numbers and data, videos to explain a product or service or for tutorials, slides to present data and information, and graphs and tables to clarify statistics and comparative data.
Unique and memorable
Attracting attention within seconds is the key to success, so having a strong visual presence for your content is crucial. Make your image unique and personal, complete, consistent, flexible and shareable.
Social networks
From Facebook to the most recent Tik Tok, the presence of all these social networks emphasises the enormous value and efficacy of multimedia graphical content, making the online image much more immediate and direct.
An exclusive experience
In order to find customers, it is necessary to sell something more than just one’s own company, by creating an experience around one’s own product/service. The right images can prove to be a perfect tool for arousing a certain emotion in the viewer.
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