The power of visual story telling Emily Gray

The power of visual story telling Emily Gray*, Stephen Farrall*, Will Jennings† *University of Sheffield; †Southampton University

Academics write and publish things like this

Or like this

Or like this

That are read in places like this

Scene change • ‘Impact’ – how well do we translate research to the general public. • Academic policy research needs to win ‘hearts and minds’. • Information age – volume, content, various media platforms.

Less is more • “The aim of the poet is to inform or delight, or to combine together, in what he says, both pleasure and applicability to life. In instructing, be brief in what you say in order that your readers may grasp it quickly and retain it faithfully. Superfluous words simply spill out when the mind is already full. . ” Horace, (Epistolas Ad Pisones De Ars Poetica)

Effective visual communication 1) Aesthetic appeal – engage a voluntary audience 2) Comprehension – provide a clear understanding of the information 3) Retention – impart memorable knowledge. Lankow, Richie and Crooks, 2012

Aesthetic

Aesthetic

Comprehension

Comprehension

Retention

Examples

Contact details • emily. gray@sheffield. ac. uk • @thatchers_legacy • http: //www. sheffield. ac. uk/law/research/p rojects/crimetrajectories