{"id":4030,"date":"2022-03-23T10:53:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T14:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2022-03-23T22:43:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T02:43:04","slug":"white-paper-writer-tip-4-think-visually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/white-paper-writer-tip-4-think-visually\/","title":{"rendered":"White paper writer tip #4: Think visually"},"content":{"rendered":"

To create an\u00a0effective\u00a0white paper today, text alone doesn’t cut it.<\/h2>\n

Every white paper writer must\u00a0be able to imagine\u00a0powerful graphics to help tell their\u00a0client’s story.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why? Because white papers are\u00a0getting brighter, bolder, and more colorful. Great pictures and graphics are a must-have.<\/p>\n

For best results, you\u00a0must learn how to dream up images\u00a0that communicate your key\u00a0points\u00a0at a glance.<\/p>\n

Here are some tips on how white papers writers can think visually.<\/p>\n

\"our<\/h3>\n

Visual thinking tip #1: Understand how our vision works<\/h3>\n

More than 50% of the human cortex\u2014the surface of the brain\u2014is devoted to visual processing.* That’s why most people agree that sight is the\u00a0most powerful sense.<\/p>\n

Remember, the human species\u00a0evolved as hunters and gatherers, predators who ate animals but were also prey for larger carnivores and competing tribes.<\/p>\n

Our survival was linked directly to how well we perceived the prey we were stalking or the predators sneaking up on us.<\/p>\n

Most researchers agree that motion is the first thing we see.<\/p>\n

That’s why any moving picture or animation has a magnetic pull on our eyes.<\/p>\n

After that most people\u00a0notice\u00a0color, shapes, and then finally, lines.<\/p>\n

Our vision works the same whether we’re scanning\u00a0the landscape for danger\u00a0or looking at a graphic in a white paper.<\/p>\n

Our eyes and brains see instantly\u00a0and holistically, meaning we pick up the big picture without any conscious effort.<\/p>\n

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\"little<\/p>\n

Visual thinking\u00a0tip #2: Give your reader\u00a0the big picture<\/h3>\n

So if people can take in the big picture with no effort, why not give it to them?<\/p>\n

After all, most white papers are supposed to help the reader understand an issue, or sketch in a richer mental map of some market space.<\/p>\n

As a white paper writer, it can help to sketch out the big picture you’re trying to convey.<\/p>\n

Making a quick sketch\u00a0can help you organize your thoughts, see patterns, map out relationships, and capture\u00a0the essence of a white paper’s topic.<\/p>\n

The key to creating a graphic is to stick to the main points and drop any\u00a0fine details that take a lot of words to explain.<\/p>\n

Simplify, simplify, and simplify some more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Inspiration<\/p>\n

Visual thinking tip #3: Don’t try to be neat<\/h3>\n

When you’re sketching out ideas, you don’t have to be neat about it.<\/p>\n

Many ideas for new products or services have\u00a0been sketched out on a scrap of napkin\u00a0over lunch.<\/p>\n

When you’re sketching, feel free.<\/p>\n

Use whatever tool is at hand when inspiration hits:<\/p>\n