Effective Communication in a Screen-Dominated World

Now more than ever, we live in a world dominated by visual information. Over the last 50 years, the growth of the internet and the increasing presence of digital display screens in the day to day lives of most people, has transformed us into a culture that receives most of its information through one type of screen or another.

From smart phones, to tablets, to laptops, almost everyone has access to the entire online world at any time, and we use that access to consume incredible amounts of content. Content that is structured around visual stimuli used to communicate a message.

This incredible breadth of content also makes for an increasingly competitive environment for information. With so much content to consume, an audience’s attention span is pulled in many different directions, all competing with each other for some amount of sustained attention. Knowing how to communicate quickly and effectively in that type of environment is crucial to communicating convincingly.

Visual Communication Strategies in Trial

So how do you effectively communicate in such an environment, especially when it comes to matters of the law, a field that is extremely complicated and often misunderstood? The key is to have a well-constructed visual communication strategy. A good visual communication strategy has numerous advantages, including:

• The ability to communicate things that language often can’t do alone
• A powerful opportunity to capture the attention of your audience, and increase their comprehension and retention of information
• The ability to add dramatic effects that resonate with your audience in an emotional way
• The chance to shorten the time it takes to fully communicate particular ideas or concepts

A Beginning, Middle, and End

Because of their inherent chronological nature, timelines are a very effective way to communicate the facts and details of a story or case. Whether we’re recounting the details of a particular event or making plans for what will happen over the course of a particular day, our brains are hardwired to think sequentially.

We are a storytelling culture, and every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. So when you’re trying to communicate the facts and details of a story, it makes sense to place them on a timeline that clearly lays out the beginning, middle and end of that story.

TrialLine: A Powerful Storytelling Tool

TrialLine is an excellent visual communication tool for any attorney. Lawyers can create immersive timelines for their cases, laying out event by event what happened and why each event is important to the overall story they’re trying to tell. This fosters a more thorough understanding of a case, and enables them to better capture their audience’s attention, improving understanding and retention. Attorneys can attach supporting evidence directly to each event, including images, medical reports and even video. Each event can be represented in the best way possible to quickly and efficiently communicate the facts and details of that event, and in turn, how those events shaped a case overall.

Visit TrialLine.net today to sign up for a free trial and learn how TrialLine can help make you a better communicator, and a more engaging storyteller.

This is a guest post from TrialLine. Visit them at ABA TECHSHOW in the EXPO Hall at Booth #5 and learn more about the Conference. 

The post Effective Communication in a Screen-Dominated World appeared first on Law Technology Today.

source http://www.lawtechnologytoday.org/2019/02/effective-communication-in-a-screen-dominated-world/