Return to Table of Contents Why visual storytelling matters

Related: What Your 6 Favorite Movies Have in Common …instead of using mere words, we decided to use visual storytelling and created an infographic that depicts each movie plot as it fits into different stages of the hero’s journey:

Visuals can also help us connect with people or characters, imagine ourselves in new scenarios or settings, and understand the most complex or nuanced narratives or plots.įor example, when we wanted to examine in detail how six different popular movies all follow the hero’s journey… These visual communication tools are great, not only for grabbing and engaging the audience’s attention but also for resonating with and eliciting emotions, which are what drive stories forward. Visual media that can be used for storytelling include photographs, illustrations, videos, and graphics, including informational graphics or infographics. So much so that it seems like common sense that if you want to tell a story or convey a message, you’ll use a visual to do so. Visual storytelling is something we generally appreciate, from films to video games to social media posts. This is why people also use the term “visual narrative” when they refer to visual storytelling. Visual storytelling refers to when visuals are used to tell a story. There will also be visual storytelling examples and templates you can customize to tell your own visual story.

In this article, I will show you the major methods for using visual storytelling in informational graphics, highlighting how visual stories can help your organization communicate key ideas. While visual stories have varied widely, in both content and format, the structure has been surprisingly consistent. Visuals have been central to many of these stories, from cave paintings to political maps to modern-day advertisements. Stories have been the way humans have communicated since as far back as history can trace.

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