Humans have always been visual. The early cave paintings show that people found value in visual communication. In the New Testament, Thomas needed to see before he believed. What makes today different is the mass quantity and speed at which images are thrust in front of our eyes. It’s hard to find a place in the world that does not have some sort of signage – a message of some sort or another. Even an experienced hiker follows trail markers. When does our brain truly rest? When do we rely on our other senses to provide information?
Today we can look at an image and our brain instantly recognizes and identifies the image. We don’t have to make a conscious decision to think about it. Instead of just listening to a presentation, students, executives and even parishioners are given Power Point images to help explain the message. The brain is rarely given a chance to process the information on its own. This way everyone walks away with the same idea. It can be good if you’re trying to spread a single message, not good if you want to promote a discussion about those ideas. Also, it doesn’t really promote use of the imagination. I love movies made from books, but the images my imagination created while reading the book disappear once I see the movie. In fact, everyone walking out of the theater leaves with the same images.
Our different cultures still have a huge impact on how our brain processes information. However, just as television changed our lives, the use of the internet and digital communication is changing the world. Will our individual cultures become less important as we become global citizens? Maybe the "universalism" the graphic designers were striving for in the modern era will become reality. Time will tell what the impact will be.
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