How internal comms can use visuals to simplify complex or dense messages

Internal communicators are responsible for delivering a wide array of messaging, and sometimes, that messaging can err on the dense and abstract side. In a workplace full of emails, direct messages and newsletters, it can be easy for employees to get overwhelmed by an avalanche of text. For internal communicators, visuals are especially powerful when the message is required, complex or easy to ignore.

Gillian Sheldon, global head of communications at Napster, told Ragan that internal communicators need to consider the fact that an employee population may have vastly different ways of consuming information.

“You have to program for a wide range of people,” she said. “Some people are visual learners, some people process information better by hearing it, and many people need a combination of both. At the same time, we’re all flooded with emails that are incredibly dense and wordy, and most people’s first reaction is just ‘TL;DR.’ That’s the reality we’re working in now.”

She added that communicating through visuals appeals to the human nature to be attracted to color and visual cues.

“Our brains are trained to consume content that way,” she said. “Even in internal communications, employees are still consumers, and they’re bringing those same expectations and habits with them when they read company messages.”

Here’s a step-by-step guide to designing effective visuals for internal communicators.

1. Identify if the message needs help from a graphical presentation.

Some content that internal communicators need to share isn’t ever going to be the most exciting. For instance, sharing an obligatory set of HR or compliance forms usually falls on the dry side of the messaging responsibilities. Sheldon said that the first step her team takes when developing graphics and visuals is determining whether or not a visually appealing presentation will aid in comprehension.

“You may think that because a topic is serious, it has to be this long, dire message that focuses on forms people need to fill out or something like that,” she said. “But that’s not actually helping people understand it. We’ve done a lot of infographics to present this information visually, and those have been really useful in making the information feel more approachable without losing accuracy.”

Once communicators determine that a message would benefit from a visual, the next challenge is deciding what the visual actually needs to accomplish and what information should live elsewhere.

2. Determine the things employees need to understand from the visual — and what other documents can support it.

Sheldon said that the first step she takes is to write up a brief for Napster’s creative team to identify the points that the visual needs to communicate.

“You define what the overarching goal is, and then you identify the messages you really need to highlight — message one, message two, message three — and what falls underneath each of those,” she said.

She added that visuals should guide documentation rather than replacing it. This means providing access to deeper explanations in text alongside the visual for people who need more information and context.

“You’re obviously still going to need company documentation, especially with things like policies,” Sheldon told Ragan. “But it makes it so much easier to understand when you see it laid out visually, whether that’s a comparison, a flow chart or an ‘if this, then this’ situation. The visual gives people a framework for understanding what they’re reading.”

From there, the format of the visual can flow naturally depending on the content.

“Any sort of policy you can think of, especially when you’re working with an HR partner and trying to make it less dry, an infographic immediately does that,” Sheldon said. “It’s an image you’re engaged in right away, instead of a wall of text.”

For instance, instead of sending a multi-page email explaining benefits enrollment deadlines and eligibility rules, communicators might lead with a single visual outlining the key dates and decisions employees need to make and where to go for more details. The visual should also include links to the full documentation attached.

3. Work with AI to help scale visual storytelling.

For internal communications teams without dedicated design resources, AI tools can make visual storytelling faster and more scalable. This is the case as long as they’re used to support and not replace human judgment.

“Nowadays with AI, infographics don’t always need that very in-depth graphic design brief anymore,” she said. “They can be done in just a couple of steps using a variety of tools. That said, you always need to double-check your work. It’s not perfect, but it gets you very close very quickly.”

She emphasized that graphics are great to give employees a baseline of understanding and encourage them to learn more. Sheldon said that in her experience at Napster, messages that lead with a visual have higher engagement rates.

“Even if a company policy or communication can’t be explained fully in an infographic, at least it’s there for the hook,” she said. “That’s really what we’re trying to do — get people to engage first. When there’s an infographic leading the message, open rates are much higher, and people are more likely to actually read the content.”

Internal communicators should think about visuals less as decorative add-ons and more as strategic tools that boost comprehension and engagement. Whether the message involves dense compliance language or abstract concepts, a well-designed visual can cut through the noise and make any message feel manageable and accessible. When communicators design for how people really consume information, they give their messages a better chance of being heard — rather than just seen.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications.