We all should know by now that the Picture Superior Effect is real, and that people respond to, process and remember imagery far better than text. But a story about a toxic swimming hole which is getting some renewed attention right now proves that no matter what the text says, some people just insist on believing in the pretty picture.
So, apparently there was a quarry in the UK that was a magnificent shade of turquoise…
The water so was so beautiful that some people refused to heed the clear textual warnings that the water was actually highly toxic and dangerous…
And they went swimming. And got sick. Very sick. Apparently the PH level in the “blue lagoon” is equal to that of bleach. Yech.
So what did the town do? If people were only going to let their sense of aesthetics guide their decisions, then that’s the way it was going to be. The town died the lagoon black!
The Picture Superiority Effect rules again!
This is a great example on how we people are affected by the visuals and how simple text is neglected.
Really appreciate the way you have explained here.
But does that mean that simple text has no importance to the audience?
Asking from the viewpoint of a Presenter.
Thanks for bringing this topic to spotlight
Arpit
authorSTREAM Team
This is a great example on how we people are affected by the visuals and how simple text is neglected.
Really appreciate the way you have explained here.
But does that mean that simple text has no importance to the audience?
Asking from the viewpoint of a Presenter.
Thanks for bringing this topic to spotlight
Arpit
authorSTREAM Team
Not all. As much I think people need to think visually, studies have shown that text + image is more effective for audiences than either on their own. When it comes to presentation, I like to think of adding text to images, not adding images to text–which I think is the traditional way of thinking about presentation.
Not all. As much I think people need to think visually, studies have shown that text + image is more effective for audiences than either on their own. When it comes to presentation, I like to think of adding text to images, not adding images to text–which I think is the traditional way of thinking about presentation.