In every boardroom, project kickoff, or strategy day, complex themes are everywhere — vision statements, cultural values, project goals, transformation plans. The challenge? Most of them remain just that – difficult to grasp, easy to forget. That’s where visual strategy comes in.
Why Visuals Work
Our brains are hardwired to respond to visuals — they help us grasp information faster and remember it more effectively. According to neuroscientist John Medina, when information is paired with relevant images, people retain up to 65% of the content three days later, compared to just 10% when it’s presented with words alone.
When you turn your complex ideas into a visual strategy poster, you’re giving people an anchor — something they can see, share, and connect with. Whether it’s a one-page snapshot of your company values, a roadmap for the year ahead, or a visual explainer of your theory of change, a poster becomes a tool for clarity, alignment, and engagement.
From Fuzzy Concept to Illustrated Strategy
Here’s how we turn strategic concepts into powerful posters that people actually use:
1. Start with Exploration, Not a Brief
Before we put pen to paper, we take time to get to know you — your audience, your goals, and the message you’re trying to communicate. We start by exploring what’s possible, helping you think through how visuals can support clarity, alignment, and engagement.
From there, we run a collaborative workshop using a draft strategic illustration — a rough visual concept that acts as a conversation starter. This session is where the real work happens:
- We unpack key messages
- Test imagery and metaphors
- Discuss format and use cases
- Align stakeholders
The workshop ensures your team is part of the process, shaping the outcome from the start. It’s designed to spark insights, surface tensions, and bring clarity before final illustration begins.
2. Find the Visual Metaphors For Your Strategic Visualisation
Conceptual ideas become clearer when grounded in metaphor. A roadmap, a garden, a bridge, a tree — these help bring structure and meaning. We pick visual metaphors that reinforce your message (not distract from it).
3. Simplify Without Dumbing Down
Good visual strategy isn’t about cramming everything onto a page. It’s about knowing what to leave out. We distil the message to its core components, making space for whitespace and visual breathing room. The result? A poster people want to engage with.
4. Make Your Visual Roadmap Shareable and Sticky
Posters aren’t just for printing and pinning up. We design with digital sharing in mind — so your strategy becomes a conversation starter in meetings, a backdrop for onboarding, and a talking point across teams.
Real Results
We’ve seen how a single visual poster can:
- Unite a fractured leadership team around shared goals
- Help staff understand their role in a complex change process
- Bring strategy off the shelf and into day-to-day conversations
As one client put it:
“The team at Sketch Group helped us improve some of our brand message, with dynamic and captivating illustrations. They really listened to our needs, and worked hard to ensure the end result was the best possible outcome. There was clear communication of how the process would work, ensuring no unexpected suprises at the end. I’m delighted with the results and highly recommend them if you need a complex story told simply and effectively.“
If your strategy is clear in your head but fuzzy on the page, we can help translate it. We work with you to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling visual posters — tailored to your audience, your brand, and your message.
Curious about what a visual strategy poster could look like for your organisation? Get in touch — we’d love to sketch it out with you.