Stories That
Pack a Punch
Love it, hate it, or simply endure it, you
can’t escape it. We are now a people
symbiotically attached to our devices.
Most of our waking minutes are spent
gazing at some sort of screen, whether
phones, tablets, laptops, or big screen
televisions. We have become addicted to
short bursts of text and loads of images.
If we weren’t a visual culture before, we
certainly are now.
How did this happen so quickly? Well, it
just so happens we were pre-wired for the
revolution. Research shows that roughly
65% of people are visual learners1, and
that the human brain processes visualization 60,000 times faster than text2. And,
therein lies an incredibly valuable lesson
for all communicators.
If you want your message to pack a
punch, you can’t commit the sin of visual
boredom. Whatever you’re communicating must capture attention and please
the eye, no matter what the medium—
print or digital.
RISE OF THE INFOGRAPHIC
Professional stock car racing driver
Austin Dillon packs a punch on both
the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
and Xfinity Series.
Make no mistake—the written word still
has impact, and is an essential part of
virtually every communication you’ll see.
But the role of verbiage, and often the
proportion, has changed. Visuals used to
be seen as an element utilized (sparingly)
to complement copy. We’re trending
strongly in the opposite direction today,
especially in the digital realm. Keep the
copy short, punchy, and relevant. Let
strong design and
graphics carry the
load.
Perhaps nothing illustrates this point more powerfully than the meteoric rise of the infographic. Why
did infographic search volumes increase by more than
800% in a two-year period3? Simple. Infographics are
the perfect combination of clever visuals and short
copy. They get right to the point, are quick to digest
for time-conscious searchers, and are easy to share.
prominent in the design. From the parallax scrolling
background segments and use of thumbnail images
for the news stories, to bold images and videos, the
site uses plenty of imagery to keep the user engaged.
A STRATEGIC APPROACH
While the importance of the visual element in creating impactful communication is now well-recognized,
strong visuals, compelling words, and a brilliant
layout can still miss the mark. The first step is to
clearly understand the product, the audience, and the
intended message. Taking this strategic approach allows us to identify which images need to be captured
and how they should be utilized, in concert with concise, targeted copy, in order to multiply the impact of
a given message.
A prime example is the new American Ethanol
Racing™ SmartSite (www.americanethanolracing.
com)designed and developed by VistaComm, a case
where words needed to step aside and let visuals
take the lead. As we went through our discovery and
assessment process with this client, we learned their
primary purpose in redesigning their site was to spotlight the strong connection between the U.S. ethanol
industry and NASCAR® racing circuits.
SM
“For the NASCAR fan, it’s all about the experience,”
says Ryan Welch, director of sales and marketing for
American Ethanol. “American Ethanol fuels that fan
experience, and that’s what we wanted the new site
design to convey.”
To accomplish that, the site VistaComm created took
its inspiration from other sporting websites. Not
surprisingly, the use of imagery and motion were
http://www.mindtools.com/mnemlstylo.htm
http://misrc.umn.edu/workingpapers/fullpapers/1986/8611.pdf
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http://graphs.net/why-infographics-are-so-popular.html
Sample infographic from www.growthenergy.org
In addition to the strong images, major elements and
title text fades or animates into view as the browser
scrolls down the page, thumbnail images fade in and
out on hover, and the background moves in relation
to the foreground to give a three-dimensional feel. In
short, there is always something moving on the page
to maintain a minimal level of visual interest—even
when the user isn’t actively scrolling.
“Our new SmartSite™ is beautiful,” Welch states.
“During the design process, VistaComm was
persistent in getting the right message and the right
feel. That’s why the final product turned out so well.”
The story for American Ethanol Racing is fueling the
NASCAR fan experience. Now, they have a site that
powerfully conveys that message by visually drawing
visitors into the experience.
VistaComm can skillfully combine words and images
to tell your story with impact. Contact us at
866-752-7707 and let’s begin the discussion.
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By Burke Perry
VistaComm®
Senior Journalist
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