Visual Storytelling: How to Show in Pictures What Should be Said in Words?

Introduction

Visual Storytelling: The most common type of communication is verbal conversation. For communication, we use language knowledge and secondary attributes: tone, loudness, body and sign language. This helps us not only to accent correctly but also to add emotional value to the narration.

This is a powerful way to convey narratives and evoke emotions through images, graphics, and videos. To enhance the impact of your visual storytelling, remember to perform png resize appropriately, ensuring they are well-suited for different platforms and maintain their visual quality across various devices.

Recently, different companies have started paying more attention to the quality and quantity of content, and in this marketing race wins the one who uses all opportunities correctly. One of the key elements in attracting the attention of users is the power of visualization.

However, texts are often used together with images in storytelling. A lot of directors or designers use services such as essayservice.com to accumulate their vision into good texts, which can capture the viewer’s attention.

What is Visual Storytelling and Why is It so Popular?

Visual storytelling (narration) is a way to communicate with the viewer without words, using only images. In today’s world, the perception of our brain works differently compared to 30 years ago. Now optical information is better absorbed by us than simple text.

A person holds their attention on an object for only 8 seconds to understand whether something has caused interest or not. This time is enough for the brain to process the information and for the person to decide how to proceed.

Why Storytelling Works

When we use visual storytelling, we also lay down a certain meaning, an emotion, an idea and the very essence of the narrative. If we want the viewer to see and assimilate our creative message, we must use secondary attributes such as rhythm, color, shade and light, contrast, composition, and shape. 

By knowing how to meaningfully communicate with the visual language of a viewer, we can give them the exact information and emotional connotation that we want.

Visual Story framework

1. Every narrative is a sequence of actions and events

I.e. a narrative that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. That is to say very briefly.

There is always an emotional narrative. Without emotion, a story cannot exist. It is the ability to create emotional involvement that holds the power.

Character

It must be present in the storyline. It is not necessarily a person or other animated character (branded hero), it can also be an abstract visual form. The main thing is the existence of one or more central figures in the narrative. The whole narrative will then be lined up around them.

2. Storytelling only works when there’s strength, energy, and emotion in a story

We are are the ones that engage the viewer in the message. There are basic elements that facilitate the achievement of high emotional involvement. They are mainly the viewer’s expectations, and psychology of their perception. Your job is to suggest what they don’t expect.

Conflict

Conflict is in contrast, the event that makes the action happen. Conflict in narration is necessarily the same as a character. It’s the conflict that triggers the action, that gives emotional coloring. It creates energy. But conflict isn’t just about open confrontation. It can be the hero’s inner conflict or a visual one: the contrast of one form of image with the other.

One way or another, the conflict must be present, and it is important to learn to understand it metaphorically. We should be able to use it in the construction of the way we tell. Sometimes it is a very subtle emotional game.

Action

A character in conflict begins to perform actions that will help to resolve the said conflict. This is what the narrative is made up of. The events must alternate in their emotional coloring. You may say that this layout is more suitable for a work of art, theatre or cinema. 

But we are also talking about a marketing tool. In terms of how one perceives information, there is absolutely no difference whether it is cinema or advertising. All stories are built on the same laws. But of course, there are nuances. All these elements  look different in different showcases. But the basis remains the same.

Storytelling gives good results not only in advertising but also in studying materials, as well as wherever it is important to convey the most effective information to the audience – in any business area.

3. Create a credo for your narration 

It is a tree trunk of storytelling. You can use aphorisms, metaphors, idioms (there are many websites you can use, e.g. Smart Words for easy and fast searching) to express the moral part of your narrative. And, the absence of a moral is also moral. 

Who works on the creation of a visual story?

The designer is responsible for finding a suitable and understandable image. They develop the basics of visual filling of a storyline. To make the right design decision the designer is to collect information, and spend a fair amount of time analyzing it. The designer develops the basics of visual filling of the main plot.

His main task is to collect the input data, i.e. the scenario, the director’s vision, technical capabilities of production, and then to process them further – to systematize, analyze, supplement with research on the topic, and produce the result.

In the end you should produce a clear, understandable, and, of course, attractive design that serves the requirements of the narrative. Briefly, visual storytelling is supposed to clearly convey your message.

What are the Key Ingredients for Developing an Effective Visual Story?

1. Content (even in a visual story) is the most important

An excellent material should be interesting and useful to the viewer. Think of what valuable and new a person will get from viewing your material. To make a well-digestible narration, use the information pyramid. When the narrative is designed, think about what can complement it, and help to reveal the subject. 

Having multiple perspectives and different contexts is always a good idea. Interesting content, direct expert commentary, and quality of design will add up to the interesting and comprehensive material.

2. Try to use Hitchcock’s rule

Hitchcock’s rule will help to manage the visual narrative with the most spectacular images. If you know exactly what you want to tell your viewers, examine all the elements of the narration clearly and keep your focus on the right information.

The Hitchcock’s rule will help you convey the narrative most effectively and give the audience a sense of empathy for your visualization.

Conclusion

Hence, you should communicate with the viewer in a language they know and understand. This way, everyone will certainly read your message. We can also recommend some online platforms for the development of visual storytelling skills. We hope someday you’ll involve us with your visual content!