Presentation for the 2014 National Capital Region Crisis Communications Summit on my experience producing graphic design, social media, and multimedia for emergency communications in the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Hopefully this information will be helpful to other public service workers and content designers! Feel free to reach out on Twitter @davidjaywatson or email davidwatson202@gmail.com.

1. VISUAL
I!NFORMATION
THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS
IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
DAVID WATSON
MULTIMEDIA CONTENT STRATEGIST, VIRGINIA DEPT. OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
!

2. About
!
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
1
David Watson
Multimedia Content Strategist, VDEM
2
3
4
engaging with creativity
to help people

3. Basic Ideas
! Visual information
> 1
is the fastest,
most universal,
most popular kind
Having a PIO with
graphics skills will
improve your public
information efforts
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
2

4. The Visualization of Social Media
5 Whether in times of disaster
or during preparedness efforts,
visual information has almost always
been VDEM’s most shared content
on social media since October 2012.
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
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On Instagram, #HannahGraham has 404 posts
#BringHannahHome has 1,428
#Ebola has 265,037

5. “Visual information is the fastest,
most universal, most popular kind” Top 5 Posts
5 February 2014 | 313 shares
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
!

6. “Visual information is the fastest,
most universal, most popular kind” Top 5 Posts
4 February 14, 2014 | 1,032 shares
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
!

7. “Visual information is the fastest,
most universal, most popular kind” Top 5 Posts
3 May 2014 | 1,524 shares
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
!

8. “Visual information is the fastest,
most universal, most popular kind” Top 5 Posts
March 2, 2014 | 2,0224 shares
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
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!

9. “Having a PIO with graphics skills
will improve your public information efforts” Top 5 Posts
1!
October 1, 2014 | 2,290 shares
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

10. Making Your Own Infographic
!
1 Square >
2 Numbered steps
3 Symbolic icons,
preferably
suggesting action
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

11. Inspiration from Instructions
!
Transcends
language
preferences &
proficiency to
provide actionable
information,
(even under stress)
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

12. Inspiration from Instructions
!

13. FOLLOWING VDEM
!
@VDEM
facebook.com/vaemergency
@vaemergency
pinterest.com/vaemergency
VDEM
VaEmergency.gov
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

14. STAYING IN TOUCH
!
davidwatson202.com
linkedin.com/in/davidwatson202
@davidjaywatson
VISUAL INFORMATION: THE GROWING ROLE OF GRAPHICS IN GOVERNMENT + CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS