Better visual communication

Checklist – better visual communication

1. Think visual – is this image-friendly?

Think about the imagery from the start. Do not write the full text and then start looking for an image afterwards.

2. Think about the purpose of the image

What is the purpose of the image – explain, draw attention, decorate, amuse, worry, clarify, reinforce, educate, hinder, hide?

3. Sometimes multiple images can be justified

Use the full image palette when warranted: People, environment, details, near and far. This is especially true when you want to inspire or delve deeper, for example in feature stories and portraits.

4. Take inspiration from photojournalism

Think topicality, events, presence, people, interaction between text and image.

5. Do not forget the caption!

Caption – among the most read and worst written: Write good captions! They should add something, attract the reader, have coverage in the article and name people.

Also, think visually when setting your headline and use the headline as a basis for your final choice of image.

6. Highlight people

People are engaging, arouse emotions and bring the content to life.

7. Choose the best image

Choose the image that is taken at the right moment or conveys the right feeling.

8. See what is available in Mediabanken

The Mediabanken image data bank contains a large number of images for print, web and other media that you can download and use in your work. To be able to access all of the images, you must log in with your Umu-id.

9. Use the image brief when ordering photo services

If there is no image available, you need to plan for and order photography or take the photos yourself (Swedish).

Use the image brief when ordering photography. What do we want to say? Who is our target audience? Is this image-friendly? What can an image add? Where will the image be published? What type of image are we looking for? Is there a budget? Where can we find the image?

Read more about image briefs (Swedish)