Visual Thinking

Learning outcomes of Visual design

Visual thinking requires more than just simple text information. Visual thinking requires a learner to use more than just the left side of the brain to become analytical, but also the right side of the brain, which involves creativity and art. When a curriculum or training is taking place, attracting the learners' attention can be vital in their learning success and memory. According to Gray, "Visual thinking is a way to organize your thoughts and improve your ability to think and communicate. Visual thinking is a vital skill for developing new ideas and designs, communicating those ideas effectively, and collaborating with others to make them real." (Gray, n.d.) Turning lectures from being wordy and simplistic with no visual image makes it more difficult for the learner to relate and retain the information. Creating training and lectures with visual cues such as images, icons, and diagrams allows the learner to retain the information and link related concepts (Pappas, 2015).

The critical element in using visual thinking is learning how to use whitespace effectively. Whitespace can also be called negative space, and this is the empty gaps between screen elements (Boag, 2011). This space format used in websites and visual training is purposefully created to establish an aesthetic look to the visual cues without drowning in the information. Not only can whitespace visually make the website or slide appealing, but it can also allow a higher comprehension of learning. The biggest mistake that web creators make if they are not aware of how to use whitespace effectively is placing a lot of information or images in a limited space webpage, overwhelming the user or learner, and keeping them from retaining the information.

References:

Boag, P. (2011, February 11). Why whitespace matters. Paul Boag - User Experience Advice. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://boagworld.com/design/why-whitespace-matters/.

Gray, D. (n.d.). Visual thinking. Hi there. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from http://www.xplaner.com/visual-thinking-school/.

Pappas, C. (2015, December 8). Visual thinking in Elearning: What elearning professionals should know. eLearning Industry. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://elearningindustry.com/visual-thinking-elearning-elearning-professionals-know.