What exactly is a visual narrative and how does one storytell with graphics? Why is it important for a nonprofit to have a visual narrative? Imagine that you are five years old and you pick up the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. What if it only had white pages with black text? No red-headed green caterpillar, no hole-punched ice cream, candy bar, pear, leaf, and no big colorful butterfly to leave you in awe at the end of the book. Would you be excited to tell your friends at school about it? Most likely not.
A visual narrative is exactly how it sounds – using visuals, such as photography, graphics, videos, etc to tell your organization’s story. About 77% of Americans now consume their news and information mostly through social media, and content that is posted with relevant visuals get 97% more views! Graphics, from infographics to memes are the most popular because it’s eye-catching and easy.
Based on my experience in establishing branding, running social media campaigns, and creating graphics for nonprofits, here are 5 Dos and Don’ts to keep in mind when creating graphics for your organization’s visual narrative.
DO: Be consistent with messaging and branding!
It is very important when creating graphics that you do not stray too far from your organization’s branding. If you’re launching a social media campaign and want it to stand out, branch off from the branding but never start growing a new tree. This means using the same colors or the same font type. Repetition and consistency is what builds a brand so your graphics should reinforce your brand.
DON’T: Be scared to recycle content.
Two reasons to recycle graphic content: First, not everyone is going to see your post the first time around. Recycling or reposting content increases the chances that it’ll be seen by more people. Second, recycling helps your brand and message consistency. Just like ads. The more you see of a product ad, the more likely you’ll choose that brand when shopping.
DO: Incorporate photography into graphics.
Sharing a photograph on its own is wonderful, but incorporating it into a graphic enhances it! You can add text, create GIFS or a meme, or color block it and add an inspirational quote. There are many options! My favorite example is Kaiser’s Thrive campaign. They incorporate amazing photos that showcase their brand of “happy and thriving” patients.
DONT: Don’t overload with stock photos. As a photographer, I’m all for original photos! Using original photos make all the difference when curating your visual narrative. It’s guaranteed that no one else will have the same photos and your content will be more relatable when you have real people and not models. Relatedly, showcasing diversity is also important. If you do decide to use stock photos, be mindful of who is represented in them. Here is an example of how we incorporated a stock photo into our brand.
DO: Keep text simple and clear!
Text is a MUST in creating impactful graphics but you want to be sure it’s legible to your audience. Choose font types that are easy to read. I usually choose anything sans serif. If you want to go fancier, like cursive or handwritten types, I would only recommend for use as a title or as accent font. Make it as easy as possible for someone scrolling by your graphic to quickly read and comprehend it.
DON’T: Text overload!
Have you ever sat through a presentation where the presenter’s power point slides were filled with large paragraphs of text? Did they even TRY?! This can also be a problem with graphics. You want to highlight the main points of your messaging, not overload it with text that will instantly dissuade someone from reading it. Putting a short quote or a stat are great choices but my favorite is using just a hashtag (i.e. #MeToo, #IAMTHEFUTURE). It’s short and simple, prompts your audience to track the trend while you track them. It’s a win-win for all!
DO: Use infographics to showcase impactful data.
Infographics may sound overrated but they are popular for a reason! Social media platforms are visually focused. You have more chances of engaging someone’s attention when you break down dense info, add colors, icons and charts to serve as easy bites of information. For nonprofits, this is the best way to communicate research-heavy messages.
DON’T: Misrepresent or overuse data.
Using data can be tricky. To ensure that the data you use is mission-aligned, be sure to double check your sources. Is the source reputable? Who funded the research? How will your organization’s association with them look to the public? For example, if you’re doing work on anti-tobacco, it wouldn’t be mission-aligned to use data from research that was backed by tobacco companies.
Also, overusing data can backfire! It is possible to have too much of a good thing. For graphics, think about creating separate graphics for each stat. Stats are more impactful when they stand alone, compared to being lost in a crowd.
DO: Be inspired by others.
One of my favorite books is “Steal Like an Artist,” by Austin Kleon. As an artist, he explains the difference between “good theft” and bad “theft” of creative ideas. It is common to strive for originality but as social human beings, we learn from each other. Long ago, a caveman invented the wheel. Someone decided to steal the idea and made tires from it. If you are inspired by another organization’s branding or graphics work, totally “steal” it! However, cater it to your organization’s brand and messaging, and make it unique to you.
DON’T: Copycat.
Plain and simple. Just don’t do it. Do not copy someone else’s graphics down to the very details. It won’t be a good look on you!