We all know that a simple picture can convey much more than a few words - sometimes more than a lost of words. And we’re often encouraged to substitute pictures for words, to convey a big, complex, and powerful message quickly and clearly.
But, if you’re using this techniques to convey ideas - doing a presentation or proposal, for instance - special risks come along with pictures.
With many pictures, especially complex images, the “thousand words” you pick up may overlap by only “a couple of hundred words” with what is conveyed to me.
The more complex, rich, and detailed the picture, the greater the possibility of sending different messages to different people, interest groups, or individuals.
A simple photo of a big truck on a piece of open road is much less open to a wide range of interpretations than that same truck on a busy suburban street - let alone a truck carrying sheep near a stockyard or port area.
People have enough challenges in choosing words which convey [just about] the same meaning to everyone. It’s a much bigger challenge with pictures.
Next week, some tips to help choose pictures for tenders and proposals.
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