There aren’t many (if any) aspects of the communication field that I haven’t been at least peripherally involved in by this point of my career. But if you asked me what I do most, I’d tell you I write. Whether it’s reports, case studies, press releases, media pitches, newsletters, blog posts, speeches, social media, web copy, etc., I write.
I love words. I fell into communication as a career by virtue of how much I loved reading, and by extension writing. I still write out lists by hand because I like the actual feel of writing something on paper and will maintain until my dying day that the physical act of writing tells my brain to remember items in ways that typing just can’t do. I have an extensive collection of decorative notebooks and day planners that I use, even though I also have duplicate digital versions. I keep pens available in at least six different colors, despite working primarily on my computer. I have a constant assortment of books on my Kindle at all times, most from the public library (shout-out to the library, which is one of culture’s unsung heroes!) because I never want to be caught without something to read. I like doing crossword puzzles and playing word games. In contrast – I can’t draw, I’m not a photographer, don’t have a background in graphic design, and have a hard time with spatial/visual tasks.
But I also recently returned from a vacation to Japan. And if there’s anything that will drive home the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” it’s being in a country where you don’t speak the language and that uses a different alphabet. I have zero background in the Japanese language. There are no written words in Japanese that I can recognize.
I’ve travelled internationally frequently as an adult, but the vast majority of countries used the Roman (or Latin) alphabet that’s used in the United States. And by virtue of speaking English, my travels have been made significantly easier due to its prevalence as a second language.
Many people in Japan did speak some English, and it was a common second language included on signs, directions, etc. But translations aren’t always clear and images helped me navigate. And they certainly would be even more vital for individuals that spoke neither Japanese or English. Standard images for exits, the train to the airport, bathrooms, when to cross the street, etc. blend into the background when you speak the language and know your way around, but become much more noticeable when your eyes are skimming over letters you don’t recognize.
Picture menus in restaurants was one of the most helpful elements for me as a traveler. Some restaurants also had English menus, where the photos were overlaid with text, but almost all of them had photo menus (or plastic replicas of the dishes they offered). I like to eat, and being able to view meals and point to my selection opened up my restaurant options by taking the need to determine if I could communicate across languages out of the equation.
Japan also has restaurants where you order your food via vending machine before seating yourself, and the staff then pick up your tickets and deliver your order. There is no way I could have navigated the vending machines without images. Snack packaging was written exclusively in Japanese, but frequently included an image of the product and/or flavor (for instance, green tea, fruit, shrimp, etc). I’m an adventurous eater, and I enjoy trying diverse snack products when in another country, but I do like to have at least a vague idea of what I’m getting involved in.
And, of course, what’s a vacation without photos and videos to share with your friends. Could I describe the Kinkaku-ji Shrine? Sure; but no matter how talented the description, a photo is still going to express what it looked like more clearly. Could I tell people about how my sister got chased by a small deer who wanted the seafood skewer she was holding? Yep, and I did. But was it as entertaining as the video clip I have of it? Nope. And when I go back and look at the photos and videos I took during the trip, I’ll be reminded of the memories in ways that I wouldn’t be if I just happened to come across the name of the cities and locations I visited.
So, what’s my point? The point is no matter how much I love the written word and how it may be my comfort zone and stronger suit, communication as a field is much broader than words. Images are powerful. They can help people understand, navigate, communicate across languages and cultures, and create emotional impact. They are recognizable, draw attention, and make it easier for people to read by breaking up text. Words are important, but don’t sleep on the imagery and lose out on a broader audience you could be reaching.