Yeah!: Visual Writing

I just had to stop what I was doing and post when I had the latest CIO magazine stuck in front of me, open to an article entitled, "Needed: Good Writers" (available online). The article makes a number of good points about the importance of writing skills in work settings. But the one that jumped out at me noted the finding in a study by the National Commission on Writing that ranked "e-mail as the number-one form of writing in America, followed closely by presentation/ visual writing."

Visual writing.

As I've written before, adding graphics to writing can greatly enhance both the clarity and the brevity of the text. I hope this isn't too "male" an example, but think back to sandlot football and how much it helped in getting the play called quickly and clearly to have the quarterback diagram the play in the dirt.

Comments

[Online Shopping]

I don’t think the sandlot football example is too male, although I do think it’s going to be lost on more than half your readers. Perhaps a visual aid would help. Actually, I linked to that article and I wanted to ask you several questions about it, since it brings to light a lot of problems with the workplace today, since 90% of workplaces are internet-ready and people have to depend on it for communication. When you visit a site, say for online shopping and you sign up for their newsletter, shouldn’t it come 100% error free? I mean it’s a business marketing tool and no business would ever let a direct mail newsletter head out to consumers with mistakes. The internet has made it possible for any schmo with an internet connection call himself a writer and get people to buy his services. Does that bother you as much as it bothers me? I mean, will we ever really know what credentials and capabilities we’re buying ever again now that everything is online?

[Scott McArthur]

I agree with the visual writing notion and have been deploying this as a technique now for a number of years.

Here is a fantastic example of what you can do with visual dialogue

http://mcarthursrant.blogspot.com/2007/03/using-conceptual-art-to-convey-complex.html

Great blog

Scott