Visual literacy and its importance to you

Visual information is everywhere. We consciously and subconsciously read images, from browsing social media, when researching for assignments, seeing adverts or watching programmes and films. Visual literacy is a valuable skill to develop, not only by those studying or working within the creative industries. Here are three examples:

• a scientist needs to understand visual communication to disseminate their findings to the public
• a teacher uses their understanding of visual imagery to engage students
• a digital content creator must develop skills of visual or audio description to ensure accessibility for all

Below is a short form with questions to support you when thinking about an image you have seen. You can also find a PDF download of the form on the right for use beyond this module.