Good visual communication strips away information that distracts, leaving no room for the receiver to understand it as something other than the author intended. Visual simplicity refers to the perception that a visual message presents “orderliness, balance, and clarity—the concepts of figural goodness defined by Gestalt psychology. So can a 3D COVID virus be replaced with a simpler version and still have equal effect, if not more?

Ultimately, our common goal is to find ways to effectively communicate to the public vital information that can help them make informed lifestyle and health choices and safeguard everyone from catastrophes like the current pandemic. Using images and animation is always a guaranteed way to catch people’s eyes, but does it have the ability to sustain their attention and ultimately affect their decision making?

Here are some guiding questions when choosing images to accompany your message.

1. Is your message targeted to a general or expert audience? An expert audience can process a lot more information so using 3D is probably appropriate. For a general audience, too much details become confusing.
2. Does your image/animation highlight the single most important element that they need to understand?
3. Does your image/animation convey your message in the most uncomplicated way?

If used well, visual language serves as a supporting structure for your message. However, using images that are beyond your audience’s scope will cause confusion rather than further understanding.

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