Crafting a Visual Environment for Sharing Information

In the modern era of technology, humans are constantly inundated with visual information. Advertisements line our morning commutes, emails continually stream into our laptops, and our pockets hold a virtual world begging for our attention. At the end of the day, many of us curl up on the couch with our favorite Netflix series dancing across the screen in front of us. In a world where visual information is so pervasive, how can we share our knowledge in a way that increases clarity and understanding instead of adding to the deluge?

Humans As Visual Learners

To answer this question, it’s important to remember how humans process information. First, we rely heavily on visual information. For example, we can remember where things are supposed to be on a shelf and locate them in our “mind’s eye.” This is because each of us carries a map of knowledge (or a mental model) in our heads, that is built from our experiences. Each new experience becomes a “data point” on the map, so to speak. These maps are especially attuned to cues like distance and landmarks, both remnants of our evolutionary history that help us find our way when navigating new and uncertain environments. Because of this, visual representation can be an especially useful tool for communicating information.

But the amount of information we can process each day is limited. Every task that requires effort draws on our limited attention store, as do the many distractions around us. We can find it hard to focus and, without breaks, we can become irritable with even mildly effortful tasks. Given this limitation, it's important for us to consider how we share information to support understanding and mitigate mental fatigue. 

Crafting Supportive Visual Environments

Sharing information through visual environments can have a powerful impact when calling others to action. Visual presentations, for example, can capitalize on the way humans process information. While user-experience and graphic designers are experts at doing this, anyone can learn to make more effective visual presentations if they follow these three guidelines: keep it organized, keep it concise, and make it count.

1. Keep It Organized

   It is best to organize the information on a page in a way that mimics how we mentally organize concepts. Titles and subheadings can create structure and indicate priority. Visuals, such as charts and graphics, can also help organize information into distinct categories which can improve clarity and understanding. Similarly, section titles and navigation bars can support wayfinding within a multi-page document or presentation. These cues for navigating help us understand where we are at and how to move through the material without getting lost. This is especially important when dealing with complex concepts; our minds can deal with incredibly intricate information if we understand how pieces fit together and how to get from one step to the next.
   
   A great example of visual organization can be seen in the Supportive Environments for Effectiveness graphic below. The center of the graphic holds the basic premise that the framework is built around—information needs—and the three main elements of the framework encircle it. The swirling shape of the visual informs readers that, though the elements are distinct, there is continuous interplay as each one supports the others. Finally, the outer circle describes the main topic of the visual.

The visual organization of this version of the SEE icon assists viewers in drawing a simple, initial cognitive map of a complex concept.

2. Keep It Concise

Keeping information concise on the page can increase clarity and prevent confusion for the viewer. The term white space describes the empty space surrounding text or images, and it can be an underutilized tool in graphic design. White space can emphasize information while reducing crowding and giving the eye a place to rest.

It is also helpful to try and reduce or “chunk” lists into only a handful of items (think 5 plus or minus 2 concepts at a time). It may take more time and effort to simplify information rather than to keep it complex and detailed, but it will help the audience identify what they need to know and help them retain and remember the information.  

3. Make It Count

Visuals can help information have a stronger and longer-lasting impact by telling a story and helping the audience build a vivid mental map of complex ideas. A high-quality visual presentation will invite the reader/audience in as a key participant in the model-building process. They should feel like they have an important role to play in exploring and engaging with the material that will allow them to act based on what they have learned. Here are some questions to consider:  

• Are the visuals reinforcing the main goal of the slide/presentation? 

• Are they acting as wayfinding icons to scaffold learning? 

• Are they connecting concepts to real-world examples?  

• Are they helping to build off of the audience’s pre-existing mental models? 

Or, are they distracting, cluttering, or confusing? Think about how an audience will view a visual presentation; sometimes, one large photo makes a stronger impression than three small ones that compete for attention or that are displayed too small to appreciate.

Each of us has unique knowledge to share with each other, and using visual tools can be an excellent way to meaningfully communicate that knowledge. Within our visual stories, the above guidelines can help us craft supportive visual environments for learning. Instead of adding to the digital chaos that surrounds us, our work can provide meaningful clarity and understanding for others. 

Other Helpful Resources

For more resources on navigating online environments for meetings, check out this short video. Similarly, this video provides some great suggestions if you are searching for tips on finding focus within a world of distractions.

The inspiration for this piece stems from the work I undertook to reformat how critical information was being presented for a solar adoption program in Ann Arbor. You can find more information on this program at Solar in Ann Arbor. Information on my approach to program analysis using Supportive Environments for Effectiveness (SEE) can also be found here. 

Tara-Sky Woodward was a reDirect fellow during the summers of 2022-2024, working with the city of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovation to help study the success of their A2Zero Solarize program.

SEEing our Way to Solar: Using Supportive Environments for Effectiveness (SEE) in Program Analysis

Incorporating Supportive Environments for Effectiveness (SEE) in program analysis is a great way to understand a program’s success, as well as potential areas for improvement. This past summer, I had the privilege of working with Julie Roth from the City of Ann Arbor to take a closer look at what is making the Solarize program so successful in the Ann Arbor area. We wanted to uncover what elements of SEE were contributing to this success, as well as how SEE might inform the expansion of this program to other regions.

Ann Arbor, Michigan. Credit: Denis Tangney Jr. Getty Images

In short, the Solarize program is a group- buy program for solar installations. This means that a local host, organizer, and installer work together with a group of residents to secure bulk-buy discounts on residential solar installations. The program has seen exponential growth since 2019, but similar initiatives throughout the state have struggled to gain the same momentum. By using the SEE framework, we were better able to understand what is contributing to the success of Ann Arbor’s program, as well as what can be improved in future iterations.

There are three elements of SEE that represent our human need for information: model building, being capable, and meaningful action. These are not distinct elements working in isolation, but rather complimentary and dynamic facets of the framework as each one supports and perpetuates the next. Model building is essential to understanding what action needs to be taken and how to complete that action. Being capable is having the physical and mental resources to carry out that action. Finally, meaningful action is the behavior itself and the purpose that it carries both for the individual and for the broader community.

Program Analysis

Specifically, program analysis can help us pinpoint which program mechanisms contribute to, or detract from each element of the SEE framework. To take a closer look at Solarize, we surveyed participants prior to group-buy presentations to identify perceived barriers to solar installation. Overwhelmingly, the results showed that the primary barrier was not having the necessary information to take action. The need for procedural knowledge is a common theme: humans don’t necessarily want more information about why they should do something, but rather how they can actually achieve it.

What we found is that offering procedural knowledge was one area in which the Solarize program excelled. Following the survey, the organizer at the group-buy event clearly provided the information needed to get solar installed. One clear step was given at the end of the presentation, and the majority of participants took this next step towards solar installation. In doing so, Solarize was creating clarity for participants—building their understanding and increasing their ability to take effective action.

However, when attempting to replicate Solarize in another part of the state, the program did not gain as much traction. It turned out that while a similar presentation was given, final directions for taking the next step weren’t as clear. The success of Solarize in Ann Arbor, brought by helping participants find clarity and feel capable, was lost in translation. Some meetings were purely informational in providing the “why”, with no call to action, while others lacked the organizational direction that characterized the program originally. As a result, participants did not have the clear guidance they needed to move forward, and few were pursuing solar installations through the group-buy events.

Now that we had this information, we had to share it in a way that would be easily assimilated into future programs. To accomplish this, we formed the following outline for group-buy events:

• Provide clear information with specific steps for participants

• Create simple, visually engaging presentations

• Limit the amount of information per page/screens

• Highlight points of success, and the impact from taking action

A design platform, such as Canva, can help display next steps in such a way that enhances clarity by reducing the need for information to be solely presented in text. Simple graphics provide a visual anchor for each point, and examples provide a story of potential application methods. As a result, new information can more easily integrate with the existing mental models of the audience.

Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that less is more; focusing on a few key points in program analysis can make a significant impact. Limiting the amount of information on each page can make what is presented easier to process and retain.

Finally, it is critical to elevate points of success. This encourages program facilitators and fosters a meaningful connection to their work. By emphasizing what is going well, team members feel capable and motivated to tackle areas that may need improvement. Reminding program team members about the bigger picture and the meaning behind their work can have a lasting, positive impact on morale, and do the same to inspire further action from participants.

An approach that reinforces the information needed to act, supports the ability to act, and establishes a meaningful connection to the bigger picture, can help create the type of community environment for solar energy to flourish. While both simple and intuitive, these steps can have a profound impact on the success of a program. By using the SEE framework, we can provide supportive environments for programs to achieve durable, transformative change.

Tara-Sky Woodward was a reDirect fellow during the summer of 2022, working with the city of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovation to help study the success of their A2Zero Solarize program.