It can be difficult to onboard users to new and complex interfaces and workflows. New research shows that images and video enhance understanding and retention of complex information and tasks and can even increase productivity, but software often changes quickly and requires regular updates and localization. How can we leverage the power of visual communication without having to constantly localize new visual content? Simplified User Interface (SUI) helps you create powerful and useful images to help your users better understand your content while extending its shelf life and often eliminating the need for localization. Presented November 29, 2018, at Quadrus Conference Center for Information Development World 2018.

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The Value of Visual Content
&
Simplified User Interface
Daniel Foster, Snagit strategy manager, TechSmith
@fosteronomo | @techsmith

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elit id magna tincidunt aliquet. Sed ut massa fringilla, tempor
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nec sem. Aenean viverra et justo vehicula tincidunt.
Curabitur semper nulla in tortor vehicula, in ornare ex

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Visuals matter.
Get creative.

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“Something is happening. We are
becoming a visually mediated society. For
many, understanding of the world is being
accomplished, not through words,
but by reading images.”
Paul Martin Lester
Professor of Communication, Cal State Fullerton

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There were inklings of data …
60,000 X
80% vs 10% 6 in 10
94%

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But there was nothing
comprehensive.

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New Research:
The Value of Visuals

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Methodology

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Opinion survey
4,500 workers
Communication
Wants & Needs

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Scientific study
125 workers
Upload
post
Download
software
Fill expense
form
Text-only
Text +
screenshots
Video w/
voiceover
T A S K
INSTRUCTIONS
! ! !
! ! !
! ! !

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Scientific study
125 workers
Upload
post
Download
software
Fill expense
form
Text-only
Text +
screenshots
Video w/
voiceover
T A S K
INSTRUCTIONS
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!" !" !"
!" !" !"

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Scientific study
125 workers
Upload
post
Download
software
Fill expense
form
Text-only
Text +
screenshots
Video w/
voiceover
T A S K
INSTRUCTIONS
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Economic modeling
Scientific study
results
Economic
datax
$$$

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3 Big Findings

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Finding 1: Companies fail to
communicate in ways
people prefer.
(and it’s killing productivity)

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Millennials
• Also known as workers under 40.
• Also also known as the world’s largest demographic.
• Also also also known as the largest portion of today’s workforce.

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What about everyone else?

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Finding 2: Visual content helps
people perform better.

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Finding 3: Visual content saves
companies money.

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…this isn’t an issue that is
going to go away. As
humans, we will always have
a more visceral reaction to
visuals than text.
—Dr. Alastair Goode,
Ph.D. in Cognitive Science
“
”

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Visuals matter.
Get creative.

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source:

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source:
Traditional development model
Servicing development model
!
!!!!!!!!!

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...of companies surveyed create technical
communication deliverables in multiple
languages.56%
source:

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A representation of an interface (or other visual
content) that focuses on the essentials by stripping
away temporarily or contextually unimportant elements.
Simplified User Interface graphic
Pronounced “sue-ee”

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future-proof content
cut localization costs
focus viewer attention
Benefits of SUI graphics

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Let’s talk!
Daniel Foster
@fosteronomo
d.foster@techsmith.com
Video/infographic/whitepaper:
techsmith.com/visual-communication-research