1. Visual thinking helps us see patterns in data
Data is everywhere. It’s generated by everything from our social media interactions to the devices we use every day.
While data can be overwhelming, visual thinking can help us make sense of it. By representing data visually, we can see patterns and relationships that we might not otherwise notice.
Visualizations or structure diagrams connect concepts and processes together pictorially in a way that our brains process more quickly than text alone. This is crucial especially in law, where not all ideas can be conveyed in a linear way. The University of Minnesota found that human brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than they do text.
2. Visualization promotes deeper understanding of data
Visualization helps us quickly assimilate, analyze and gain insights into data, which is why it’s such an important and powerful tool for gauging the performance of any project or transaction.
50% of the brain is active in visual processing, while 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. This explains why the process itself of visually diagramming or visually structuring helps us better formulate ideas and understand the data – as we work on the visualization.
This in turn leads to increased opportunities to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses too, which in turn helps law firms improve efficiency and reach business targets sooner.
3. Visualization helps us retain more information
The phenomenon of the picture superiority effect refers to the phenomenon where people are more likely to remember concepts when they are presented as pictures rather than as words.
Studies show that people who only hear information, remember just 10% of it three days later.
But the same people retained 65% of the same information three days later when it was paired with a relevant image, (keyword is relevant).
A typical flow chart using a combination of shapes and text together is enough to make a more lasting impression on audiences than files of paperwork.
But leveraging the power of intuitive design and pairing concepts with meaningful icons or logos, (like the lawyer-centric ones utilized by the StructureFlow platform), data visualization becomes much more engaging and memorable, for all parties involved.
Visual Thinking. Here to Stay.
Data visualization is here to stay. The complexity and sheer amount of data will continue to grow every day, but so will the scope and methods of visual thinking employed by forward-thinking businesses.
They recognize that, with effective visual thinking or structure diagramming, entire processes become more interactive and engaging, as well as offering deeper insights and powerful ways to communicate data.
Find out more on our upcoming Webinar on May 16, 2023:
“Visualizing Corporate Transactions: Mitigating Risks and Maximizing Opportunities”
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- How to communicate complex ideas and processes visually, clearly, and more effectively
- How to prevent mistakes and identify risks and opportunities otherwise easily missed
- Ways to turn complexity to your advantage, not be burdened by it
- Develop data-safe and data-driven visual modeling that will enrich multi-stakeholder collaboration across all your projects.