Face it. It’s easy to make something look good. And while there’s some value in that, it’s a taller order to create a website, ad campaign or collateral system that communicates effectively as well. To do that, it’s important to determine the visual intent of your communication.
For context, the goal of every communications should be to convey ONE thing and convey it quickly and clearly. In a sea of clutter—when audiences have little time and even less patience—you should follow the 2-second rule. If your audience doesn’t get the point by then, you’ve lost them. Fair enough?
Now for some structure. Armed with your ONE thing, ask yourself: How do I create communications that really look like what I want to say?” Do the visual clues—the words and pictures on the page—bring home the main point visually and quickly?
Here are cornerstone considerations to achieve visual intent:
Tone. What’s the tone you want to create: gentle, aggressive, playful, fun? Whatever it is, it should be immediately apparent. Color and typography play a key role here. For example, orange says something completely different than beige. So does bold, blocky type compared to a delicate script typeface.
Weight. Everything’s relative. Avoid extraneous visuals that command attention but communicate nothing. Make sure you’re placing visual emphasis where it counts.
Position. You want to be sure the most important elements are placed appropriately and prominently for optimal viewing. Know your upper-lefts and lower-rights. Understand print and digital rules for placement that optimize readability, open rates, page views and click-throughs—they’re rules for a reason.
Contrast. Contrasting elements (light and dark, happy and sad) can reinforce your point. Be keenly aware of how images collaborate with words…and other images.
Above all, think about the immediate (2 second) take-way of the whole picture. Remember, clarity is everything in today’s world of clutter. And a clearly thought-out visual framework can go a long way in helping you achieve that.
