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According to Forbes’ State of the Workplace Communication in 2024, employees spend an average of 20 hours per week using digital communication tools. Yet, despite all this time communicating, nearly half of workers said their productivity is hampered by ineffective communication — and 42% experienced increased stress levels because of it.
Maybe it’s time to make the argument that traditional text-based methods for communication alone are no longer cutting it. Is now the time to adopt a visual communications strategy?
The Impact of Visual Communication in the Digital Era
In a world where information overload is a constant challenge, and team members may not share the same physical space or time zone, visual communication offers a solution.
According to Canva's Visual Economy Report, which surveyed 1,600 global business leaders, a staggering 90% agree that visual methods increase efficiency, 89% see an enhancement in collaboration, and 85% believe visuals carry more authority than traditional communication methods.
“A block of text is the quickest way to lose someone’s attention,” said Edwina Munns, head of internal communications at Canva.
The growing presence of Gen Z in the workforce also requires a shift toward visual communication. Munns said these digital natives, accustomed to interacting with a variety of visual media, respond better to visual communication.
"By investing in design literacy, business leaders can appeal to the inherent creative capabilities of this demographic, giving themselves an edge in the market for talent,” she said.
Others agreed that digital media can have transformative power in workplace communications.
“Digital media has completely transformed the speed, frequency and messaging relevance of workplace communications at virtually every touchpoint,” said Jay Leedy, head of business development at Sony, who noted the increasing prevalence of digital signage, starting with the replacement of old-fashioned notice boards and expanding into meeting room booking signs, operations areas with data visualization integration, food service areas and even printer-copy machine screens.
Related Article: Communication Breakdown at Work? Here's What to Do
Crafting a Visual-First Strategy
With the right strategies, organizations can harness the power of visual communication to improve engagement, enhance understanding and foster a more connected and productive work environment. But where’s the best place to start?
1. Consider Turnaround Time
When it comes to internal communications, turnaround time is crucial for impactful material development, said Munns. "Leaders and communicators know that great internal communication does so much more than just inform."
By incorporating creative visuals into business updates, organizations can captivate their teams' attention, she explained, leading them on an informative journey and building crucial buy-in.
“Revolutionizing your internal communications and embracing a visual-first mindset is essential for engaging your workplace both now and in the future and can be the key in unlocking new levels of engagement and landing sustained outcomes.”
2. Use 5 Rules for Content
According to Leedy, there are five crucial elements in delivering a content strategy that visitors and staff will find value in: timeliness, relevancy, frequency, consistency and engagement.
Organizations need to find a way to foster participation with communications so that teams are invested in a conversation rather than simply an audience, he explained.
It’s also a must to iterate and evolve your strategy over time, rather than considering it a one-off project. “So many networks die a slow death because they are not nurtured and refreshed with the same care and attention initially applied when building them out,” he said.
And while there are tools to automate and keep content fresh, he added, that only goes so far. “In my experience, the best Workplace Digital Media strategies have dedicated owners of the Content Strategy funded as an Operational Expense who are charged with continuously refreshing content and measuring its effectiveness.”
3. Expand Existing Tactics
Digital media strategies, like the digital signage and media already in place, are essential tools for employee engagement. These strategies can be echoed, amplified or moderated using familiar tools like Slack or MS Teams channels, , said Leedy, or even automatically tailored to specific departments, regions, shifts or seasonalities.
“Digital Media has really served to help companies optimize efficiencies in communications while also being leveraged as table stakes for attracting and retaining top talent in the workforce,” he explained. While ten years ago digital media might have been considered “nice to have,” now most companies see these investments as mission critical employee engagement tools.
4. Follow 3 Core Tenets
Ultimately, said Leedy, follow the three core tenets:
- Plan for failure. Networked computers and digital elements inherently introduce risk. “Plan for how to address these risks at the onset,” said Leedy.
- Plan for future. Flexibility in hardware and software selection is key, according to Leedy. And while there’s no predicting the future, you can assume technologies will evolve. “Spending a little more now will save a lot of money and pain later.”
- Plan for fun. If your content is boring, your investment becomes wallpaper — and even the most interesting wallpaper becomes stale after time. “Allocate the resources to ensure content remains fresh, exciting and relevant,” Leedy said.
Measuring Impact and Embracing Innovation
The best measurement for success of your visual communications strategy is whether it accomplishes your goals, said Leedy.
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“Want more staff camaraderie? Use it to drive awareness for company wins or team successes. Want to improve efficiencies? Data visualizations and gamification to drive competition can help drive that.”
A number of technologies are also available to help with measuring engagement — proximity sensors, WiFi, Bluetooth sensors and facial detection cameras. “These all work well in retail and advertising networks especially.”
For workplace communications, measuring success is a little simpler. Use compelling content that drives engagement frequency, so that key communications can be interlaced with the content strategy.
Finally, companies looking to adopt visuals into their communications strategies don’t have to go it alone, Leedy said. “There are a number of industry associations dedicated to digital signage and helping the uninitiated better understand how to make the most of their investments.”
Resources he recommends include:
- Digital Signage Federation (DSF): Offers micro-credentials and certifications from industry experts.
- Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA): A resource for training that also offers accreditation for AV and digital signage practitioners. They operate the trade show InfoComm in North America and jointly operate Integrated Systems Europe.
- Sixteen:Nine: A trade show blog that serves as a great resource for the industry.
- Invidis: Another trade show blog companies can use as a resource.
Related Article: Using Generative AI to Enhance Unified Communications Capabilities
Building the Case for Visuals in Organizations
The adoption of a visual approach in organizational communication isn’t just a response to evolving trends and a visual-first workforce. It’s a fundamental change in how we convey and process information.
By embracing this visual mindset, organizations can foster more engaged, efficient and innovative employees, and position themselves as leaders in the digital age. As we continue to navigate the challenges of modern workplace communication, the integration of visual elements will become increasingly important, offering a path to clearer, more impactful and more efficient interactions.
