Visual Strategies

Keywords:

different formats, space, graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, interesting layouts, and plans.

Description:

This preference uses symbolism and different formats, fonts, and colors to emphasize important points. It does not include video and pictures that show real images and it is not Visual merely because it is shown on a screen.

People with a Visual preference prefer:

• to draw things.
• working with plans, maps, and diagrams.
• working with logos, branding, and design.
• tasks where they are able to detect patterns.
• written information that is filled with graphs, charts, and diagrams.
• the layout on a page to be different, striking, or unusual; for them, it is often more important than the content.
• to use color and shape; they appreciate different and interesting layouts, fashion, design, and the clever use of color and space.
• things that make good use of color and shape, like food, decorations, festivals, and spectacular and original displays.
• presenters use gestures and picturesque language.

To take in information:

• use pictures, videos, posters, and slides where the emphasis is on the design (not the sound or the words or the content).
• use books with diagrams and pictures.
• use maps and free-drawn plans.
• use flowcharts, decision trees, family trees, organizational charts, and graphs.
• turn tables of figures into graphs.
• read the words and convert them into your own-designed diagrams.
• use different fonts, UPPER and lowercase letters, underlining, different colors, and highlighting.
• use symbols @, #, & and white space; the extra spaces between text and diagrams.
• try different spatial arrangements on the page.

To present information to others:

• Construct images in different ways. Try spatial arrangements.
• Draw things to show your ideas, using diagrams, symbols, and graphs.
• Make complex processes and lists into flowcharts.
• Make each page look different.
• Be aware that others may NOT have a Visual preference like you. Respect their differences. Find the preferences of those you are presenting to, and learn to be multimodal and deliver something in their preferred modes.

In education:

• Use all of the techniques above.
• Convert your “notes” into a learnable package by reducing every three pages down to one page. Give your brain some help!
• Reconstruct any images in different ways to suit your way… try different spatial arrangements.
• Redraw your learnable pages from memory. Replace some keywords with symbols or drawings.
• Look at your pages and search for patterns.
• Practice turning your visuals back into words.

In the workplace:

• Draw things to show your ideas. Draw things freehand and watch the reactions of others.
• Make complex processes and lists into flowcharts.
• Create your own symbols to simplify things.
• Make each page of your reports look different.
• Spend time on the design of your presentations and less on the content.