Visual Language republished by Xplane

I was thrilled to discover that Xplane, the Visual Thinking Company has republished Robert Horn’s book, Visual Language. I have recommended this book for years, but since it was out of print, it has been hard to find and very expensive to purchase. On a few occasions I have been persuaded to lend out my copy, I have been diligent in making sure it was returned. It is an important book for anyone interested in visual communication.

What makes it special?

There are so many things, it’s hard to know where to start. First it is written utilizing visual language. There are diagrams and images on every page. It does what it calls for.

Robert Horn choses to use clip art style images. I have read and heard people call this out as a key flaw in the book, but I disagree. I love the infographic work of Xplane and Edward Tufte who are often cited as the pinnacles of high quality visual communication. But Dave Gray and Edward Tufte have exceptional skill levels and are utilizing high end graphic programs and drawing skills. It’s unfair to continually compare Horn’s desire to make visual language accessible by using readily available images with master level image making. Yet, I keep hearing this.

Visual Language attempts to break down the elements of visual language and map them to verbal structures. Not all of the analogies make sense but this is not a limitation of Horn’s work, rather the problem of taking a nonlinear complex visual reality and mapping it to something inherently linear. Even so, looking at the visual through the lens of the verbal deepens the understanding of the visual and provides some framework for communicating the complexity.

I have spent many hours reading this book. Each time I dip into it again, it helps me deepen my understanding of how the visual works, and makes me more effective in utilizing the power of visual communication and in identifying the elements I am seeing around me.

This is the secret sauce in using VisualsSpeak

Before I developed the VisualsSpeak ImageSet, I spent many years watching how people interacted with images. There is a conscious response to the content and the corresponding story that emerges from selecting the photographs in response to a question. But there is another unconscious story that emerges from the visual language. There are patterns in the individual images as well as in how they are assembled in relationship to one another.

Being able to see these patterns, and use them to guide further investigation is what enables you to use VisualsSpeak to help individuals and groups recognize insights that facilitate breakthroughs.

This book provides a foundation for beginning to develop the skills required to use visual language to deepen communication. Other reviews and links to articles can be found on Dave Gray’s Communication Nation. You can purchase the book through Xplane.