Visual strategy engages audiences

See What You Mean

Think about the issues and major news events from your lifetime. Now close your eyes. What do you see when you picture and think of the Civil Rights Act? Stories about climate change? Major world changes? You’re probably not seeing headlines. You’re likely seeing images of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking from the Lincoln Memorial. A polar bear floating on a small raft of ice. The Berlin Wall coming down. 

Just as you are intentional about the words in your messages, mission statement or social media content, you must be intentional about the visuals you choose and use. Just as you recognize the messages that get in the way of your work (“Oh! I wish they wouldn’t say it that way!”), you must recognize the images that help or hurt your efforts – or unintentionally play into harmful stereotypes. 

Spitfire and our partners at SeeBoundless developed the See What You Mean guide to helps nonprofits, foundations and others working in the public interest to ensure you’re being intentional about using visuals in your communication strategy, making the most of their ability to engage your audiences and ensuring they’re not working against your aims.