​ "People are visual beings," says the Visual Catalyst. The fact that the visual sense is so pronounced in "animal humans" has far-reaching consequences:

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Perhaps you have already had the experience that clothes really make the man? No matter how hard we work to avoid prejudice - the appearance of another person is directly related to the inner image that we make of them.

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Imagery, color psychology, aesthetic image composition and other visual tricks sometimes influence us more than we would like to admit on an unconscious level.

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Perhaps you have already chosen wine according to etiquette? Although on a rational level you know perfectly well that a beautiful label does not necessarily mean good content.

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Anyone who is “visually literate”, i.e. who has mastered the cultural technique of visual language, can influence people with relatively simple means. Or at least recognize when you are being manipulated yourself.

But that's not all. Our visual-spatial thinking ability helps us to master even the most complex tasks - such as accident-free participation in road traffic - as if it were the most normal affair in the world.

We are not just “eye animals” but also have a visual thinking powerhouse. The human brain is a data center that can absorb and process visual stimuli faster than the spoken and written word. That is why we also use traffic lights and traffic signs, which are made up of pictograms and signal colors.

The fact is: the human brain can process visual impressions far faster than long text.  

But pictures have a lot more to offer.

Above all, sympathetic comic-style drawings can emotionalize abstract content. And they are great for telling compelling stories.

They focus the attention of your audience and give dialogues a visual frame of reference. They help your group to gain an overview of complex situations or processes. And they stimulate the imagination in a completely different way than words, writing and numbers do.

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It is not for nothing that strategic processes (if they want to be successful) begin with a vision or a target image - an image of the future that is being strived for. Used appropriately, simple images can even build communication bridges between different cultures and generations.

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In summary, one can say: Images are a highly effective communication and thinking tool that people have been using for at least 40,000 years to pass on knowledge to next generations, to plan joint ventures (e.g. hunts), and to make the transcendent (the divine) discussable. Letters and alphabets were later developed from simple symbols. Today, visual browsers are the basis of the success of the Internet and social media.

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Whether the art of visualization is one of the cultural techniques that was critical to the success of the Homo Sapiens species is still being debated. The fact is that the ability to communicate visually, especially in the context of a VUCA world characterized by digital technologies, is a highly valuable resource and competence.

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In sales talks, in the management of projects and teams, in the development and communication of strategies and in the accompaniment of change processes, Markus Engelberger experiences every day that (sensibly used) images can be the difference that makes the difference.

If you too want to use the power of images for employee and company management, Markus Engelberger looks forward to hearing from you.