Visualisation is the representation of an object, situation or information, in a clear, striking, sharp and smart way to get people’s attention and win their support on the coming change. It’s a technique used to communicate data and transform the invisible to the visible, in a way that makes sense and is accessible to everyone and anyone. Visualising change helps one achieve set goals by painting a picture or scenario to see the result of the change and envision how it will all work out.

Change often brings about challenges and uncertainties, therefore, being able to visualise it can assist in closing the gaps between the opportunity, the thread and the achievement. Visualising change is an effort that allows one to explore where they are, where they are going and what focus is required to get there. The result of visualisation must be readable, recognisable and reflect the logical relationship in the underlying data.

The following are some of the tips to assist in visualising change:

1. Know your data

   Assess the current state – write down what works, what doesn’t and note what needs to be changed, elaborating to give your visual the right direction. Painting the current state will help in creating a visual that will take you a step closer to the desired state. The information that is communicated needs to be understood in size and value.

2. Know your goals

   Draw up a list of the intended changes and desired expectations, mapping activities needed to arrive at the desired result.

3. Highlight and understand the outcome of the Change

   Identify the expected outcome and align the chain of events required to achieve it, linking a time frame to each event, so you can keep track.

4. Prepare your Data

   Information being communicated visually is usually consumed faster and efficiently when it is the right volumes and variables. Exploring and preparing the information before visualising will help eliminate repeats, therefore ensuring only the required amount is used.

5. Know your audience

   When transferring data into visual presentation, it is important to think about the target audience, the context and the objective of the visual story. Visualisation should help the consumer to understand what is been communicated, clearly and efficiently. Understanding the target audience and how it processes visual information will ensure that the intent is communicated effectively.

6. Consider how the visual will be used

   It is critical to review the relationship of the content to be presented visually and focus on areas with the highest influence. If the visual is intended to influence an impactful decision, it is important that it is clear, engaging and easy to draw a conclusion from.

7. Choose the best Visual

   It is important to consider the visual to be used to communicate the information. The ideal visual should be able to accommodate the data amount while providing a quick view. The visual used should be able to visualise the big picture and communicate critical information.

Conclusion

When preparing information for visualisation, one should be able to convey the message to all levels of consumers – those who have never heard or seen the information, those who have the knowledge but needs the understanding, and those who intend on using the information to provoke the next thought or make decisions based on the content derived from the information, using a visual that can easily and efficiently interpret the information.