Communication is transmitting information from one location, person, or crowd to another. Each communication has a sender, a post, and a recipient (at the very least).
This may sound basic, yet communication is a mind-boggling subject. An enormous scope of things can influence the transmission of the message from sender to receiver.
These incorporate our feelings, the social circumstance, the medium used to convey, and surprisingly our area.
The intricacy is why good communication skills are considered so alluring by employers around the globe: exact, successful, and unambiguous communication is very hard.
While it is not difficult to consider communication just the verbal transmission of information starting with one individual and then onto the next, it is far beyond that.
Nonverbal communication, such as a glance and raised eyebrows. Verbal communication, such as a change in pitch and tone; written communication, such as writing e-mails; to visual communication, such as websites to social media posts, are all examples of communication.
Key Takeaways
- Written communication refers to any message or information conveyed through written symbols, while visual communication includes any message or information conveyed through visual aids.
- Written communication tends to be more permanent and easily referenced, while visual communication is often more engaging and can convey complex ideas quickly.
- Written communication is ideal for conveying detailed or technical information, while visual communication is better for conveying emotion, atmosphere, and abstract concepts.
Written Communication vs Visual Communication
The formal method of transmitting information to someone in a written format is called written communication. The message can be exchanged in text from. Visual communication is the ocular way of communicating information without using the words, in an understandable way. Employs the use of icons and graphics to give out the message.

Written Communication alludes to passing on a message through the written character. As such, any message traded between at least two people that utilizes written words is called written communication. The written form of communication is the most well-known and compelling method of business correspondence. In any association, electronic mails, reports, messages, archives, letters, diaries, job descriptions, representative manuals, and so forth are a portion of the utilized types of written communication.
The use of visual elements to express a message, inspire change, or evoke emotion is known as visual communication. Itโs a blend of correspondence configuration (making a message that teaches, propels, and locks in) and graphic design (using design concepts to convey that message in a consistent and eye-catching manner). Visual communication that is both appealing and insightful is essential.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Written Communication | Visual Communication |
---|---|---|
Definition | Any message traded between at least two people that utilize written words is called written communication. | The use of visual elements to express a message, inspire change, or evoke emotion is known as visual communication. |
Strategy | Be simple; choose strong verbs, limited use of adjectives and adverbs, etc. | Utilizing data visualization to demonstrate the effect of work and lines and shapes to sketch relationships, flows, and processes. |
Advantage | Lasting record: The reports of written communication go about as a perpetual report. When it is required, significant data can be effortlessly gathered from the protected documents. | Visual Communication is more valuable for unskilled beneficiaries: If the recipients are ignorant, visual correspondence is more powerful for information sharing. |
Disadvantage | Time-consuming: It takes time to connect with others via written correspondence. It is a medium that takes up a lot of time. It takes up both the writerโs and the readerโs time. | Complex graphic display: The visual presentation of knowledge can sometimes get complicated. The recipients are unable to comprehend the presentationโs significance. |
Example | ย Letters, telegrams, brochures, etc. | Trade shows, social media posts, social media posts, etc. |
What is Written Communication?
Effective written communication is an increasingly important skill, particularly when more people work remotely and communicate during the day through digital platforms such as Slack, Skype, etc.
We write daily, whether a Slack post, an email to a client, or a new employeeโs training guide, and we must know how to do it well.
In reality, as we become more dependent on written correspondence, we are all becoming more mindful of how simple it is to build misunderstandings.
Unclear letters, information that has gone missing, or a misinterpretation of tone or content are all issues that arise in written communication daily.
Since they are having a bad day or have just had a run-in with an unpleasant person, the reader might misinterpret the sound of a letter.
If the case might be, understanding when to avoid using written correspondence is valuable when dependent on it.
A single phone call will resolve these contract issues in nearly all situations.

What is Visual Communication?
Because of social media, YouTube, and other digital networks, visual communication has become the most common mode of communication.
Itโs critical to recognize that your visual contact must be consistent with your brand and messaging and that a proven and coherent approach is needed.
Visual communication, such as maps, photos, drawings, animation, diagrams, and even emojis and GIFs, can help increase the interpretation of your message in various ways.
Think how a new UX drawing is much more successful than a text summary in bringing data to life and making it easier to grasp than providing a long stream of figures.

Main Differences Between Written Communication and Visual Communication
- Message transferred between at least two people through the written form is known as โWritten Communication, โ whereas utilising visual elements to communicate a message is known as โVisual Communicationโ.
- โWritten Communicationโ requires some investment, while โVisual Communicationโ can be outwardly muddled occasionally.
- โVisual Communicationโ lies in art and design, whereas โWritten Communicationโ uses language.
- โVisual Communicationโ helps illiterate recipients, whereas โWritten Communicationโ fails in this particular regard.
- It requires some time for information to be traded through โWritten Communicationโ, whereas the message is exchanged in no time in the case of โVisual Communication.โ

- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=m9-B8xKJo6IC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=written+communication&ots=bZn3b5bY5c&sig=t2aGZTbGwZZP_Ow5EXxRoSsxZmo
- https://academic.oup.com/jncimono/article-abstract/1999/25/149/897831

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.