Businesses across all industries were affected by the events of 2020. Some suffered due to the widespread effects of the pandemic, while others flourished in finding new opportunities; some simply couldn’t weather the changes and closed, while others saw the year as the right time to start a new venture. For businesses that have survived or even thrived in 2020, it’s critical to document the experience. Further, reflecting on how your business performed in a period of serious upheaval will strengthen your business planning and marketing strategy for 2021. But where to start? One of th ..read more

When it comes to internal communications at any organization, it’s essential to change with the times. As new types of resources and technology become available, companies have started using online and video training modules. Over the years, employees have switched from fax to email to chat apps. All of these changes have been in response to evolving employee expectations regarding how their organizations should be communicating with them. But one fundamental skill has emerged that few companies are training their employees in: visual communication skills.  How Visual Communication ..read more

Killer Visual Strategies CEO and founder Amy Balliett celebrated the launch of her first book this week. Entitled Killer Visual Strategies: Engage Any Audience, Improve Comprehension, and Get Amazing Results Using Visual Communication, the book is a comprehensive resource on visual communication for marketers, communications professionals, and designers alike. “This book is the product of my last 10 years leading one of the nation’s top visual communication agencies. It encapsulates everything I’ve learned about how to create visual content that engages audiences and drives results ..read more

Knowing the basics of visual communication design isn’t just important for designers. Today’s brands must produce high-quality content that does double duty — delivering accurate information in a compelling way — in order to build trust with increasingly skeptical audiences. And that means that marketers and communications professionals need to be able to recognize quality design when they see it, so they can develop content that meets the highest standards.  A new book from Killer Visual Strategies CEO and founder Amy Balliett is designed for marketers, communications pros, b ..read more

The classic design company has been around for a long time, but the visual communication agency is a relatively new development. And when you’re looking for a creative content partner, it can be hard to know the difference. What’s the right fit for your needs and your brand? Let’s take a look at how to decide. Defining Design Design isn’t just the development of pretty imagery and objects. “At its core, design is systematized problem solving,” writes Chen Ye on Medium. Good design requires a deep and thoughtful consideration of the utility of what’s being produced. If a chair looks grea ..read more

Learning how to work with a fully remote team comes with unique challenges for every organization. Some may have already been working at least part of the time remotely. Others, meanwhile, are struggling to adapt to a COVID-19 world, where face-to-face interactions are no longer an option. But one thing is certain: your team is probably interacting with more forms of visual content than ever — from video business meetings to GIFs to social-media posts — which means that corporate leadership should be training its employees in design and communication skills. Being able to communicate mo ..read more

Buyers today are coming to the purchasing table much more prepared, with the average B2B buyer nearly 60% through the purchasing process before even engaging with sales. As interaction between buyer and sales becomes less frequent, a well-positioned visual communication strategy that quickly and succinctly explains your brand’s value can jet you to the top of the buyer’s list.   Let’s take a look at 3 key pieces of sales collateral that can boost your effectiveness by harnessing the power of visual content to engage potential customers. The Visual Case Study Case stud ..read more

Visual communication lives all around us, from our social feeds to the billboards we pass on a highway. Whether it’s produced by your in-house team or a creative agency, great visual communication is more than a basic image — it captivates, informs, and leaves viewers wanting more. But producing high-quality visual marketing content is no easy task. It requires a profound understanding of how to produce content that can achieve specific goals and reach key audiences.  While it may seem challenging to produce high-quality visuals, it’s well worth your while. The quality and content ..read more

Every annual report is a chance to share what sets your company apart. But the way in which companies are choosing to present their reports is changing. Today’s best annual reports incorporate elements of infographic-inspired design, including data visualizations, illustrations, and icons. They lean on visual content to communicate their message, because that content is easier to parse and more engaging for audiences.  Traditional, text-heavy reports are no longer enough. It’s time to switch things up. This year, transform your report into an engaging piece of visual content with an ..read more

Companies that excel at design outperform average industry growth by as much as 2 to 1, according to a report by McKinsey & Company. But did you know that the visual communication strategies you use to capture external audiences can also transform your company from the inside out? Effective communication in the workplace is in fact a primary driver of a company’s success.  And that’s where visual communication comes in. In fact, 93% of internal communication pros say creativity is important in their role. Visuals can improve corporate communication and company performance by ..read more