How to communicate with visual learners
Did you know the majority of people are primarily visual learners? That means they are more likely to remember something saw, rather than something they heard.
Knowing how people learn and think is crucial to creating communications that actually cut through (read more in our post on How to communicate with different learners and thinkers)! Communicating with a visual learner in a way that works with them limits confusion, misunderstanding, and re-work.
Remember, you don’t have to be an artist to reach a visual thinker! All you need to do is be able to draft even the simplest of diagrams or a well-formatted table to help the information sink in.
Here’s some ideas for channels to use when you’re trying to reach visual learners.
Infographics or sketchnotes
An infographic or sketchnote is a great way to explain a process or strategic roadmap to a visual thinker. Mapping out the key elements or flow of activity in a visual way, rather than trying to explain it verbally or in a long email, will be much better received!
Video
Video is great … as long as it’s more than a talking head! Having diagrams, powerful imagery or key words displayed throughout the video will help the messages cut through. Remember that a visual learner will remember more of what they see than what they hear, so if it’s just a talking head on a video, then it’s really better suited for an auditory learner.
Whiteboarding
Whiteboarding works great in meetings where you need to explain a process, change, or a complex idea. Sketching it out - even very simply using something like a mind map - will help the visual learners in the room follow along (ie, not lose interest!), and ‘get’ what you’re trying to say. You can even encourage the visual learners to pick up the pen themselves and sketch out what their understanding of the topic is to check that it’s been understood.
Tables
Look at the information you’ve written down, either in a series of paragraphs or dot points - could it be simplified and put into table form instead? There’s a good chance it could be, particularly when you’re explaining a process or change! A clear, simple table will resonate much more with visual thinkers than long-form written content.
Icons
Icons are a great way to ‘signpost’ content in an email or on an intranet site, for example. You can pick an icon that relates to a particular topic or idea, and consistently use that to tie different comms pieces together. However, be aware that you don’t go too far - nobody wants Iconoblast! It can become very distracting.
What’s your communication personality type?
Find out by taking the free HMC Communication Personality Type Quiz here! You’ll learn more about your communication preferences, and how to communicate more effectively with other personality types.
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