Did Visio kill the business graphics market?

Published 6 November 7 7:18 PM | Laurence

If computers are the powerful productivity tool we think they are, why is it that only graphic designers and hardcore technical users, with their mystical knowledge of Photoshop and Visio can create decent looking business graphics? It's not as if they possess special powers of visual communication. You may have never gotten past the stick figure stage in art class, but what really separates the average person from these "creative geniuses" is practice. Practice means time, which for most of us is our most valuable commodity. When confronted with a presentation, project, or process that would benefit greatly from graphical representation, a typical response is "I don't have the time to learn [insert name of graphics program here]". The underlying goal of business graphics, and its associated software, is to increase efficiency and save time. If this doesn't hold true for a majority of business and home users, then the business graphics industry has failed.

If your boss asked you to diagram your network or document your sales pipeline, what would you say? Unfortunately, many of us would stick our fingers in our ears and yell "la la la I can't hear you!" I applaud those brave souls, the do-it-yourselfers, who enjoy taking on this sort of challenge. For some, their first experience with Visio was so harrowing, so torturous that they vowed to never build another flowchart. Seen as preoccupied with the advanced technical user, Microsoft's Visio remains the standard in the field and has transmitted that stigma to the whole industry. Personal computers have been used to create these kinds of graphics for more than 20 years and people are still scared of making a basic sales map.

I encourage people to try business graphics again. Not being an artist is never an excuse. The majority of current business graphics users don't even show their graphics to more than 3 people. Nobody is showing off their flowchart to critical artistic acclaim (although don't let that discourage you). That being said, you might be surprised at just how good programs have gotten these days.

Why don't you use business graphics regularly*? Let us know! Leave a comment.

*I've seen your presentations...

 

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Comments

# Susan said on November 14, 2007 7:52 PM:

I agree on a couple of points:

1. Graphic Design programs like Photoshop are too difficult for many users to learn

2. You need to understand what you want to communicate before you design a visual representation

BUT, I completely disagree that almost anyone can create great graphics, no matter how easy the graphic desgn tools are.

I am old enough to remember when "Desktop Publishing" took the business world by storm and companies fired their agencies and hordes of subcontractors so that the secretary (they were called secretaries back in those ancient times) could do all the marketing graphic design. We all know the results: a lot of really cheesy logos and layouts.

One must have a decent sense of design to create great graphics.

Great easy-to-use tools help, but an understanding of aesthetics, usability, and communicating concepts visually are necessary as well.

# Laurence said on November 15, 2007 8:44 AM:

Susan,

I wasn't very clear here, was I? I certainly don't believe that those qualities  (aesthetics, etc) you described are unnecessary. In fact, there are many instances when paying a professional graphic designer is the right thing to do, like designing your logo as you said. I've written about this very subject with some input from several graphic designers and I'll post that either this week or next.

I will say, though, that advanced template systems have improved the user experience by allowing them to simply input the data and have the program draw the graphic automatically with correct spacing, decent color choices, and logical flow. Is it still possible to create a really ugly, ineffective process diagram? Yes.    The point to be made is that someone with zero diagramming experience and drawing skill can still make something useful without having to sink hours into the learning process.

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