Visualising relationships: the power of visual communication in experience design

  

By Lara Husselbee, Digital Skilling & Customer Experience Specialist

— 8 minute read

Imagine walking into a meeting room where a whiteboard is crammed with text-heavy diagrams, stakeholders are debating processes, and everyone seems to have a different interpretation of the problem at hand. Now, imagine the same conversation, but instead of deciphering words, you see a clear map of the journey. Patterns more easily emerge, a shared understanding develops, and solutions feel achievable.

The power of visual communication lies in its ability to transcend aesthetics and influence how information is conveyed, perceived, and retained. It shapes behaviours, uncovers relationships, fosters empathy, and drives better outcomes. 

Visual communication isn’t just a tool; it’s a mindset that underpins much of our work. From sketch-noting and empathy tool creation to mapping exercises, within Macquarie’s design community, visual techniques form the backbone of how we design better systems, services and experiences. 

Why visual communication matters

Designers grapple with complexity daily, mapping systems of people, processes, and technology while ensuring users’ needs remain at the forefront. Visual communication simplifies this complexity, helping us connect the dots.

A visual-first approach allows us to:

  • Clarify relationships: Seeing how one process impacts another or how a user interacts across touchpoints is crucial for designing cohesive systems.

  • Engage stakeholders: Visual outputs provide a shared language that cuts through technical jargon and personal biases, making information accessible to all.

  • Drive inclusivity: Not everyone processes information the same way, but visuals create a universal language that resonates with diverse audiences.

These visual techniques empower designers to make information tangible, build meaningful connections, and bridge gaps between diverse stakeholders. 

But why does this work?

Visual communication taps into the way our brains are wired; it’s rooted in humanity’s earliest forms of expression. From cave paintings 27,000 years ago to modern-day infographics, human brains are innately wired towards processing and responding to visual data over any other type of data. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text – interpreting an image in as little as 13 milliseconds (MIT, 2014)1 – and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual.2

This makes it a powerful tool for collaboration:

  • Problem solving: Meetings that incorporate visuals improve collaborative problem solving by 67 per cent (Harvard Business Review, 2016).3

  • Emotional resonance: Neuroscientist Paul Zak found that visuals combined with storytelling trigger the release of oxytocin4, which is a hormone linked to empathy and trust, strengthening group cohesion and understanding.

  • Information recall: According to the Picture Superiority Effect5, our memory for pictures exceeds that for words on many tasks, making us more likely to remember information presented in the form of pictures or images.

Techniques to bring visual thinking into your practice

  1. Sketch-noting: capturing ideas in real-time

Crazy eights sketch-note exercise – where an individual is given eight minutes to sketch-note eight ideas

“It enables you to share knowledge, document content and explore dialogue through hand-drawn visualisations.” - Bikablo Trainer Team

  • What it is: Sketch-noting is the practice of capturing ideas and information through a combination of drawings, shapes, lettering, layouts and colours. It focuses on interpreting the key points and presenting them in a visually appealing format.

  • Why it works: Sketch-noting engages both creativity and analysis, transforming the traditional note-taking process into a fun and visual experience. By breaking down complex concepts into visuals, it helps create easily digestible points which makes information easier to remember.

How we use it:

  • Individual notes: Sketch-noting improves memory retention by helping you organise information using different structures like mind maps and flow charts.

  • During workshops: Sketch-noting promotes active listening and real-time processing of information that helps summarise key points concisely, and it can make presentations more engaging and interactive. It also facilitates discussion and collaboration when shared with other participants and creates visual summaries that can be referenced in the future.


Kevin, a product designer and sketch-note expert, shares tips for effective sketch-noting:

  • Start simple: Use basic shapes like circles and arrows to create structure. For example, a fun and simple one is drawing an UZMO lightbulb.

  • Be selective: Capture key ideas, rather than everything that’s said.

  • Add hierarchy: Use size, colour or shading to emphasise important points

  • Use visual metaphors: Simplify abstract concepts or emotions with icons or images, such as clouds for confusion or light bulbs for insights.

  • Practice: Confidence with sketching grows over time – don’t aim for perfection

How the letters UZMO can be used to create a lightbulb
You don't need to be an artist to excel at sketch-noting! Think of sketch-notes as your personal notes, similar to the ones you jot down with words. The primary goal is to capture ideas, not to create masterpieces. So, don't worry about your artistic ability—just dive in and start sketch-noting!” 

Kevin Leung
Product Designer
Macquarie Corporate Operations Group

2. Mapping exercises: making the invisible visible

“The human brain is a pattern-detecting machine. Visuals help us see those patterns.” - Dr. John Medina, Brain Rules

  • What it is: Mapping tools like journey maps, network maps, and service blueprints often connect system interactions or touchpoints, and visually represent customer, employee and/or user flows.

  • Why it works: Mapping makes the abstract tangible, enabling you to observe and understand how people actually experience your product or service, rather than how you think they do. By connecting people, processes, systems and technology, mapping tools like Service Blueprints or Customer Journeys reveal pain points and moments of delight. These tools create a common understanding, highlight areas of focus and promote empathy.

  • How we use it: When mapping a customer journey, we highlight both the emotional and functional aspects of each touchpoint or interaction. This not only uncovers hidden friction but also ensures we design for both explicit and latent customer needs.
Ben Waitsman (left) and Harry Kellick (right) facilitating the Customer Journey Mapping Masterclass

Harry, who co-facilitates our Customer Journey Mapping masterclasses, contributes his advice on mapping:

  • Simplify complexity and maintain consistency: Use consistent and straightforward visuals, symbols and icons, or colour codes and palettes to make relationships and interactions easy to understand at a glance.

  • Be adaptable: Choose visual formats (e.g. grids, swim lanes, circular flows or timelines) that best suit the complexity of the system you’re representing.

  • Include emotional data: Visualise not just the functional steps, but also the emotional highs and lows that one may experience through their journey. Emojis are a great way to convey emotions.

  • Keep your artefact alive: Your visualisations are not static; they are dynamic tools that evolve with your customers and business. Make sure to regularly seek feedback, update and iterate accordingly!

The world is getting exponentially more complex. Mapping exercises are a powerful tool to simplify the complex, focus on and understand the impact for customers, and visually demonstrate the value of what you have learnt.” 

Harry Kellick
Service Designer
Macquarie Corporate Operations Group

3. Empathy tools: humanising the data

“Visual storytelling reaches people in ways that words alone cannot.” - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Business Magic, 2015.

What it is: Tools like personas, archetypes, empathy maps, and storyboards represent user perspectives visually, tangibly bridging the gap between raw data and human experience.

Why it works: Empathy tools allow designers and stakeholders step into the shoes of their users by bridging irrational emotions and rational data, making the abstract more relatable and actionable.

How we use it: We create empathy maps and personas based on user interviews. This approach goes beyond documenting what users do; it explores their thoughts, feelings and motivations. Stakeholders are more likely to connect with solutions that resonate emotionally.

Example of an empathy tool; Archetypes. [Content created for exemplary purposes for this blog]

View a larger version of the image

Lara offers these insights for using empathy tools:

  • Keep it clean: Organise information logically, such as grouping similar emotions or actions in sequence to make tools more intuitive to read.

  • Incorporate storytelling: Visualising narratives with storyboards or timelines brings their experiences to life and boosts emotional engagement.

  • Put a face to the feelings: Assign an alias to your user’s perspectives with a picture and name to humanise the experience for your audience.

  • Add some quotes or data: Complementing your findings with real quotes and supporting data can appeal to audiences who value evidence-based findings.

Empathy tools are all about storytelling, so make sure you know your audience and pick the medium that best tells that story.” 

Lara Husselbee
Head of Learning Experience & Research
Macquarie Corporate Operations Group

But why does this work?

Make learning stick

Visual communication enhances learning by engaging cognitive processes. Training that incorporates visuals ensures concepts are not only understood but also retained and applied effectively. Studies show that using diagrams and interactive visuals improves memory retention5 and problem-solving skills.

Visualise the status

Project walls with printouts that include updates, designs and research like design principles, key milestones, participant summaries, for example, are a powerful way to remain transparent and pass knowledge amongst project teams and stakeholders. They create a centralised, easily accessible place to run standups, share insights and align on priorities. By creating project walls, we make research findings, designs and the project status visible, while serving as a tangible representation of the team’s effort. 

Priorities visible to the team

Agile tools like Kanban boards, Scrum task boards and Sprint planning charts make work progress and priorities visible to all team members. These are integral to the practice, providing clarity, alignment and adaptability through phases like development. These visual aids also support iterative problem-solving, enabling teams to quickly identify and address issues. 

Building bridges across teams

Visuals are powerful tools for breaking down barriers between disciplines, encouraging collaboration across diverse teams. They create a shared language that transcends technical jargon and personal biases, enabling clearer communication and mutual understanding. This fosters alignment and empowers teams to take collective action. 

“It enables you to share knowledge, document content and explore dialogue through hand-drawn visualisations.” - Bikablo Trainer Team

Whether it’s through sketch-noting, mapping exercises, or empathy tools, visuals transform the way we work and communicate. Visual communication is more than a design technique; they simplify complexity, make the abstract tangible, and build bridges where words fall short. 

  1. Detecting meaning in RSVP at 13 ms per picture, Atten Percept Psychophys, M Potter, B Wyble, C Hagmann, E McCourt, Feb 2014, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24374558/

  2. Attending to Visual Stimuli versus Performing Visual Imagery as a Control Strategy for EEG-based Brain-Computer Interfaces, Sci Rep, N Kosmyna, J Lindgren, A Lécuyer, Sep 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6125597/

  3. Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and their firms succeed by breaking down silos, Harvard Press Review Titles, H Gardner, 2016

  4. Why inspiring stories make us react: the neuroscience of narrative, Cerebrum, P Zak, Feb 2015, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4445577/

  5. Picture superiority in free recall: Imagery or dual coding?, Cognitive Psychology 5, 2 (1973), 176–206, A Paivio, K Csapo, 1973, https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(73)90032-7