---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-visual-supports-main-message.md
title: "Use a visual that carries the same message as the words"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
license_family: usgov
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide, US government work, public domain; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, A Plain English Handbook, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-edit"
tags: [plain-language, visuals, design, cdc-cci]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide"
    publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    url: https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "A Plain English Handbook"
    publisher: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
    url: https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Use a visual that carries the same message as the words

**Answer:** Include at least one visual that conveys or supports the main message, and make the words and visual say the same thing.

## CDC Clear Communication Index (item 4)

- When words and visuals appear close to each other, people expect them to be about the same information.
- When words and visuals are unrelated, unclear, or contradictory, people can get confused or distracted.
- Don't overload visuals with too much information; clearly designed photographs, graphs, and infographics help people grasp information easily and quickly.
- Benefits: a visual gives an alternative to text for the main message, breaks up blocks of words, and makes materials appear easier to read.

## SEC handbook

- Graphics often illuminate information more clearly and quickly than text.
- Turn to graphics when they give a deeper or quicker understanding than words alone, and check that a graphic conveys information honestly, accurately, and efficiently.

## See also

- [plain-chart-states-its-message](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-chart-states-its-message/)
- [plain-consistent-highlighting](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-consistent-highlighting/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: CCI: visuals should convey or support the main message.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Does the material contain at least one visual that conveys or supports the"

- id: C2
  claim: CCI: words and visuals should reinforce each other.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Make sure the words and visuals in the material convey the same message"

- id: C3
  claim: CCI: do not overload visuals.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Remember, don’t overload visuals with too much information."

- id: C4
  claim: SEC: graphics can be clearer and quicker than text.
  source: S2
  evidence: "Graphics often illuminate information more clearly and quickly than text."

## Sources

- [S1] CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] A Plain English Handbook. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).