During the past year of Covid non-travel, part of my routine for maintaining sanity and humanity was making an almost-daily foray to a local coffee shop, where I got to meet local people, including a very friendly staff of baristas.
One of them turned out to be a neighbor here in Franklin’s Founders Pointe, who had recently graduated from college with a Fine Arts degree. I saw that she had some talent, so we teamed up to create something I’ve wanted to have for a long time – a series of consistently-designed graphics that would become the signature look for all things Clarity.
I was tired of using a cacophony of non-coordinated clip art and other images for blog posts, presentations, workshops, and courses. I wanted to have a coordinated visual vocabulary that would help tell a story, not a kaleidoscope of random shapes and colors.
One of the best investments I’ve ever made.
Olivia Blandin translated my rough sketches and babblings (I have zero artistic talent – sub-zero, really…) into simple, breezy images that make it so much easier for me to convey my message. I can hardly express the difference this has made in my confidence as I present ideas to my clients.
I had the words, and ideas…a conceptual vocabulary. But what’s really fueling the way I communicate these days is a library of dozens of images crafted to help me say EXACTLY what I want to convey, in a targeted and pleasing way.
If you’re in the business of communicating with clients (and who isn’t??), I’d recommend you consider creating your own visual vocabulary. As someone who has presented and facilitated countless times over the decades, I can tell you, the difference in energy level I now have with a consistent visual look/feel is enormous.
(note to fellow authors – I highly recommend this approach to illustrating your next book!)
Steve Woodruff is the King of Clarity, but he’s definitely not an artist. If you need a visual vocabulary, reach out to someone with talent like Olivia!
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