Visual Communication in Think Tanks

In think tanks, visual communication happens at multiple levels and in various forms, for example, process diagrams, graphs, progress reports, and infographics. However, researchers face several challenges in incorporating such visual elements in their documents. For example, the researcher might find it difficult to strike a balance between text and visual content; the process might be time consuming because it has to be outsourced; the researcher might not be convinced of the design. Moreover, a researcher might find it challenging to decide which part of the document requires visual aid, as not everything can be represented graphically.

A single study may need different outputs for different audiences and stakeholders. For instance, policy briefs are intended for government officials, research papers are read by the scientific community, and blogs and newspaper articles are published for the general public. Notwithstanding these differences, visual outputs engage readers much more effectively than text, and can help achieve the intended objective.