By: Morgan Stemmer, Director of Graphic Design & Content Development

It is critical today that companies and organizations communicate with their audiences quickly and effectively. The brain processes images about 60,000 times faster than plain text. One study on active learning found that after three days, only 10-20 percent of written or spoken word is recalled when almost 65 percent of visual content was recalled.

This is because, as Dr. Lynell Burmark writes, images are directly deposited and stored into long-term memory and words are only processed by our short-term memory.

The best way to convey a message today is to create strategic multimedia content that incorporates both visuals and text. The marriage of visual collateral and written content is key when communicating in all media (print and digital).

High-quality images and visuals also help to ensure that your content retains a high-rank on search engine platforms. For example, Google’s ongoing improvements to image search results continue to better define and separate superior visuals and those that are more fruitless. A knowledgeable graphic designer can help ensure that your content yields an elevated position in search results by developing content that aligns with search engine standards.

O’Neill and Associates offers a full suite of in-house creative design services to support clients across all industries. We create visual content with a proven track record of increasing visibility, engagement, understanding, traction, sales, and audience awareness. Learn more about our creative practice.