In business, time is money. And right now — your company is bleeding both. Studies show the average employee spends 2.5 hours searching for information they need to do their job. Another hour gets lost in meetings that could have been emails. Or better yet, simple visuals.

That’s nearly half a workday vanishing into the void of inefficient communication.

The solution isn’t working harder or writing longer explanations. It’s working smarter with visuals.

Visual communication makes complex ideas easier to understand and helps teams connect the dots faster. In this article, we’ll unpack the power of visual communication in the workplace.

We’ll also share a clear, week-by-week strategy to help you implement an effective visual communication strategy in your company.

Let’s dive in.

3 reasons why visual communication is important

Think about the last time you sat through a text-heavy presentation. Chances are, you struggled to stay focused and retain the information. You’re not alone.

Reading dense blocks of text demands significant time and mental energy. That’s where visuals make all the difference. Our brains can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds — much faster than it takes to read a single word.

This is why many workplaces are integrating visuals in their internal communication strategy. And they’ve seen several benefits, like:

1. Enhanced information processing

Cognitive load reduction:

Visual elements help break down complex information into digestible chunks, making it easier for employees to understand and retain information.

Pattern recognition:

Our brains are naturally wired to identify patterns and relationships in visual data, leading to faster comprehension of trends and connections.

Memory retention:

Visuals are easier to remember than text because our brains process and store images more effectively. This makes visual communication key for improving long-term retention.

2. Time efficiency

Faster communication:

Visual explanations can convey complex concepts in seconds that might take paragraphs of text to explain.

Reduced meeting time:

Using visual aids can cut meeting times significantly by minimizing the need for lengthy explanations.

Quick reference:

Visual documentation serves as an efficient reference point for future use, reducing the need for repeated explanations.

3.Cross-cultural communication

Language barrier reduction:

Pictoral elements transcend language barriers, making them invaluable in global organizations.

Universal understanding:

Icons, symbols, and visual metaphors can create shared understanding across diverse teams.

Cultural sensitivity:

Well-designed visuals can help navigate cultural differences in communication styles.

4 steps to implementing visual communication in your workplace

Implementing visual communication is a change management process. It’s success depends on:

• Careful planning and stakeholder buy-in
• Clear communication of benefits and expectations
• Systematic training and support
• Regular assessment and adaptation

Once you’ve committed to the process, implementing it can take a few weeks. Here’s a step-by-step guide to walk you through it -

Phase 1: Assessment and Planning

The assessment phase creates the foundation for your entire visual communication strategy. Without understanding your current state and specific needs, you risk implementing solutions that don’t address real problems. Think of this like mapping out a city before planning new roads and buildings.

Start by examining how information flows through your organization right now. Look at every touchpoint where people receive information:

Traditional channels might include:

• Email communications
• Meeting presentations
• Training materials
• Company newsletters
• Department updates

But don’t forget modern visual touchpoints:

• Digital signage in common areas
• Information displays in meeting rooms
• Dashboard displays on the production floor
• Wayfinding screens in reception
• KPI displays in team areas

Walk through your space and observe how people interact with information. Where do they pause? What do they ignore? Where do they seem confused? These observations are gold for planning your visual communication strategy.

Phase 2: Creating Your Visual Communication Framework

Now that you’ve gotten a lay of the land, it’s time to build your framework. Start with your biggest pain points. Are people missing important updates? Are meetings running long because concepts aren’t clear? Is information getting lost in lengthy emails?

These pain points will guide your priorities as you develop your approach.

There are two key areas to focus on: your content strategy and the tools you’ll use to implement it.

• Content strategy

A solid content strategy is the backbone of effective communication. Answer these key questions:

1. What information needs to be communicated?
2. Who needs to receive it?
3. Where are they when they need this information?
4. How often does it need to be updated?

These answers help define what type of content is needed and how it will reach the right people at the right time.

For example, when planning digital signage for a production area, you might realize:

• Safety metrics should be updated daily to keep workers informed of current conditions.
• Production targets need real-time updates to track progress throughout the day.
• Team announcements could be updated weekly to share relevant news.
• Training tips might only need monthly updates, as they remain relevant longer.

Once you know the type of content, its frequency, and its audience, you can select the right tools (for creating and displaying the content) and set up processes that work seamlessly.

• Tool selection and integration

Once you’ve defined your content strategy, it’s time to select the tools that will bring it to life. Each tool serves a specific purpose: whether for designing, displaying, or distributing content. Here’s how to approach the selection process based on your strategy:

1. Design tools:

These are your workhorses for creating visual content. But don’t just grab the most popular option. Think about:

• Who will be creating content?
• What’s their design experience level?
• How much time can they devote to design?

A complex tool like Adobe Creative Suite might be overkill if your team just needs to create simple presentations and infographics. A tool like Canvacan come in handy here, because it:

• Offers templates for quick starting points
• Has an intuitive interface for non-designers
• Includes collaboration features for teams
• Maintains brand consistency through shared assets

2. Digital signage systems:

Digital signage systems allow you to manage content from a single, centralized platform. This means you can push updates, notices, or new content to multiple screens across your organization, all from one location.

Your digital signage system should:

• Be easy to update from a central location
• Support different types of content (static, video, live data)
• Allow for scheduled content rotation
• Enable emergency message override
• Provide usage analytics

Pickcel does all this (and more!). Its drag-and-drop functionality allows for quick creation and publishing of impactful content. We also provide 100+ free digital signage templates, apps and layouts to help you get started.

3. Collaboration and feedback tools

To ensure that everyone involved in content creation and decision-making stays aligned, collaboration tools are a must.

• Slack

A communication platform that lets teams collaborate, share files, and discuss content in real-time. It’s particularly useful for ongoing feedback and quick decisions.

• Google Drive

For cloud-based storage and sharing of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Google Docs and Sheets also allow teams to collaborate live.

• Figma

For real-time collaboration on design projects. Multiple team members can work on designs together, making it easier to iterate and refine content.

Phase 3: Training and Adoption

Here’s where many visual communication initiatives fail — they focus on tools and forget about people. Start with comprehensive training, so your team not only has the right tools but also the expertise to use them effectively.

The training material should cover:

• When to use different types of visuals:

Help employees understand which visual formats are appropriate for different situations (e.g., infographics for summaries, charts for data).

• How to choose the right format for their message:

Teach them how to select the most effective visual format based on the message, audience, and context.

• Basic design principles:

Cover the essentials of clear, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing design — such as visual hierarchy, color use, and font readability.

• Role-specific best practices:

Customize training to meet the needs of different teams. For instance, your sales team should focus on presentation visuals and messaging, while your operations team should focus on data visualization and updating digital displays.

Phase 4: Ongoing Management and Optimization

Your visual communication strategy isn’t a one-time setup. It requires continuous monitoring and refinement to keep content fresh and aligned with changing business goals. Here’s how to ensure your visual communication remains impactful over time:

• Content management

Establish clear ownership and update schedules:

1. Who owns each type of content?
2. When should content be reviewed?
3. How is outdated content removed?
4. What metrics indicate success?

For digital signage, create a content calendar that ensures screens always show relevant, timely information. Nothing undermines visual communication faster than outdated content on displays.

• Measurement and improvement

Track the impact of your visual communication:

1. Are meetings shorter because concepts are clearer?
2. Is information being retained better?
3. Are digital displays getting attention?
4. Is less time spent explaining basic concepts?

Use these insights to continuously refine your approach. Maybe some screens need different content, or certain types of visuals work better for specific messages.

Wrapping up

The key to successful implementation is integration. Your visual communication strategy should feel natural and helpful, not forced and bureaucratic. This means:

• Starting with clear objectives
• Understanding your audience’s needs
• Choosing appropriate tools and channels
• Training and supporting your team
• Maintaining and improving the system

Visual communication is about making information more accessible and actionable, so every decision in your implementation should support this goal.

We’d love to help you get started with your visual communication journey. Reach out to our team for a free consultation, and let’s make it happen!