Daniel Foster, Strategy Manager at TechSmith, discusses the importance of visual content and simplified user interfaces in enhancing communication and productivity in the workplace. Key findings from recent research indicate that companies often fail to meet communication preferences of employees, particularly millennials, and that visual content can improve performance and save costs for organizations. The document emphasizes the need for companies to adapt their communication strategies to include more visual elements as society becomes increasingly visually oriented.

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The Value of Visual Content
&
Simplified User Interface
Daniel Foster, Snagit strategy manager, TechSmith
@fosteronomo | @techsmith

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Donec finibus eros. Duis mattis eleifend sollicitudin. Nulla
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nec sem. Aenean viverra et justo vehicula tincidunt.
Curabitur semper nulla in tortor vehicula, in ornare ex

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Vivamus ac sem neque. Nulla in pulvinar risus. Vivamus non
elit id magna tincidunt aliquet. Sed ut massa fringilla, tempor
urna et, tempus turpis. Aliquam dapibus ac leo non pharetra.
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porta in lacus non efficitur. Mauris vel sollicitudin dolor.
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rutrum, tristique est nec, molestie elit. Vitae rutrum et, fringilla
nec sem. Aenean viverra et justo vehicula tincidunt.
Curabitur semper nulla in tortor vehicula, in ornare ex

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Visuals matter.
Get creative.

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“Something is happening. We are
becoming a visually mediated society. For
many, understanding of the world is being
accomplished, not through words,
but by reading images.”
Paul Martin Lester
Professor of Communication, Cal State Fullerton

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There were inklings of data …
60,000 X
80% vs 10% 6 in 10
94%

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But there was nothing
comprehensive.

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New Research:
The Value of Visuals

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Methodology

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Opinion survey
4,500 workers
Communication
Wants & Needs

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Scientific study
125 workers
Upload
post
Download
software
Fill expense
form
Text-only
Text +
screenshots
Video w/
voiceover
T A S K
INSTRUCTIONS
! ! !
! ! !
! ! !

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Scientific study
125 workers
Upload
post
Download
software
Fill expense
form
Text-only
Text +
screenshots
Video w/
voiceover
T A S K
INSTRUCTIONS
!" !" !"
!" !" !"
!" !" !"

16. @fosteronomo
Scientific study
125 workers
Upload
post
Download
software
Fill expense
form
Text-only
Text +
screenshots
Video w/
voiceover
T A S K
INSTRUCTIONS
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Economic modeling
Scientific study
results
Economic
datax
$$$

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3 Big Findings

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Finding 1: Companies fail to
communicate in ways
people prefer.
(and it’s killing productivity)

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Millennials
• Also known as workers under 40.
• Also also known as the world’s largest demographic.
• Also also also known as the largest portion of today’s workforce.

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What about everyone else?

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Finding 2: Visual content helps
people perform better.

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Finding 3: Visual content saves
companies money.

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…this isn’t an issue that is
going to go away. As
humans, we will always have
a more visceral reaction to
visuals than text.
—Dr. Alastair Goode,
Ph.D. in Cognitive Science
“
”

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Visuals matter.
Get creative.

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source:

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source:
Traditional development model
Servicing development model
!
!!!!!!!!!

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...of companies surveyed create technical
communication deliverables in multiple
languages.56%
source:

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A representation of an interface (or other visual
content) that focuses on the essentials by stripping
away temporarily or contextually unimportant elements.
Simplified User Interface graphic
Pronounced “sue-ee”

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future-proof content
cut localization costs
focus viewer attention
Benefits of SUI graphics

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Let’s talk!
Daniel Foster
@fosteronomo
d.foster@techsmith.com
Video/infographic/whitepaper:
techsmith.com/visual-communication-research