The Role Of Visual Literacy In Modern Public Relations

The first time I heard the term ‘Visual Literacy’ was while watching Martin Scorcese’s two hour masterclass on Filmmaking. The term struck a chord within me because I’m a highly visual person and I understand the power it has on planned behaviour. It also resonated with some very strong opinions I had around designing things to either feel good and/or look good, for better impact.

For anyone who is a brand communicator and seeks to influence most especially, it is important to understand that just like language and its dialects, visual literacy is nuanced and you can’t just wing it. Well you can, if you truly understand the science behind the art.

According to Wikipedia, Visual Literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image, extending the meaning of literacy, which commonly signifies the interpretation of a written or printed text.

Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be through a process of reading. If as communicators, we are able to deconstruct and understand the rules of design, only then will we have nailed the ultimate purpose of communication, which is interaction.

Traditionally, the crux of Public Relations by nature is to approach communication campaigns through text based tactics. The idea is to persuade through reason and logic.

While this route is absolutely valid, PR professionals also need to step back and read the room. Why? Because even though these tactics may have worked a decade ago, it may not necessarily have any kind of impact now since the audience is experiencing an information overload.

I mean yeah, the clients like features and op-eds, but does your audience? Are we all just shouting into a blackhole? In the race for the mind, are we Usain Bolt or the other suckers that couldn’t catch up?

You have to understand that this is not about demographics, it’s about psychographics. It’s about beliefs, sensations, perceptions, memory and validation.

The medium is now the message — and the impact of the message heavily depends on how it has been encoded in the human brain using shapes, texts, textures, patterns and colors.

It should be known however that the role of visual literacy alone is not the ultimate cure-all. Communication is multi-sensory and I expounded on that larger picture in my piece that’s featured in this year’s Nigeria PR Report. Please get your copy as it features the perspectives of other thinkers in the communication space.