Pictures & words

Piracy

Remember this?

It was brought to mind by a recent discussion on intellectual property, and having recalled it instantly (after a five year interval) which kind of proves a point, it was easily tracked down.

Whatever the rights & wrongs of the point it makes, it seems to me an excellent example of how to make one.

I’m reminded of the old ‘picture worth a thousand words’ saw. As so often, there’s a truth in there somewhere, but somewhat overstated. I think very often the best communication is achieved through a picture + words combination. It’s a bit like those memory tricks you see sometimes – like if you have to remember to ring the headmaster but also to buy some fish, you remember by logging in your mind a picture of the headmaster, but with the head of a fish. The more absurd or simply striking the image, the more difficult it is to lose. But to me it seems that’s as true of initial effectiveness as of longevity: the right combination of elements (very often visual + verbal) communicates (as well as endures) more effectively than any single ‘device’.

The cartoon conveys the core idea about as clearly, succinctly and persuasively as possible: it couldn’t be done as effectively without the image, or at all without the words.