Tag Archives: learning

Surprising new findings on memorable information graphics

Doctoral student Michelle Borkin of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, recently set out to discover what makes a visual memorable. She discovered several interesting things that can be useful considerations: 1. Six colors or more make an image more memorable than few colors 2. "Human Recognizable Objects" or things that people routinely see in their lives, greatly increase memory retention. 3. Roundness was found to have a favorable impact. Previous research has shown humans love Read more

Visions of Tomorrow, 1925 painting, inspired Ford comeback

A single painting from an old ad inspired Ford's customer centric come back over the last few years. This according to Alan Mulally, their successful CEO. Read the article about how a single powerful image can move an organization. Personally, I think it's somewhat odd and Terminator-like in the looming display of industrial might. Read more

Information graphics support process change

When Hoffman Construction updated their mission critical project tracking software, visuals were used to clarify the need for change, how processes would improve, and what was required of employees. Here's a short testimonial outlining the projects challenges and objectives. For more examples of how the projects unfolded, please visit our related Hoffman posts. Read more

Build consensus for process change

Companies invest a lot in their technology. Often overlooked is the more important role  individual employees have in embracing (or rejecting) the process change that often accompanies new technology investments. For Hoffman Construction, a visual approach enabled leadership to convey the crucial benefits that would follow a series of technology investments. This led to greater employee understanding and acceptance of change. Some of the original presentation slides focused on benefits as items Read more

Clarify a complicated story in PowerPoint

I've recently had the privilege of helping a former employer, Accenture, in developing new presentations to support a complex software product for utilities. The software integrates, manages, and visually displays data from Smart Grid operations to inform intelligent decisions. This project provides a great example of how to redevelop a deck with a focus on user understanding and benefits. Some of Accenture's utility clients are overseas, so visuals are extra useful in transcending language barriers Read more