The 6 Psychological Functions of Visuals

Adding a visual to learning content shouldn’t be a reflex — it should be a decision.

Visuals don’t just decorate information. They direct attention, shape memory, reduce overload, and influence motivation. In other words, visuals do psychological work — if they’re designed with purpose.

This article breaks down the 6 core psychological functions a visual can serve in learning design. For each one, you’ll get:

• When to use it
• What it supports in the brain
• How to recognize when it’s missing
• What effective design looks like in practice

If you’re designing visuals without knowing which function they’re serving, you’re likely wasting effort — or worse, weakening the learning experience.

Function 1 — Direct Attention

Design Goal: Help learners focus on what matters, when it matters.

The brain filters out most sensory input — it only processes what stands out. Attention is limited and selective. Visuals that don’t guide focus risk being ignored or actively interfering with learning.

Use this function when:

• Content is unfamiliar, fast-moving, or complex
• Key decisions or risk points need to be flagged
• Learners are likely to skim or get distracted

Red flags:

• Learners miss key steps
• Screens feel noisy or overwhelming
• Feedback suggests confusion about what’s important

Design tactics:

• Use contrast (color, size, position) to make critical elements pop
• Apply hierarchy to guide the eye logically
• Use motion or subtle animation to indicate change
• Provide visual cues like arrows or spatial framing
• Strip away non-essential visuals

Example:

In a medical training visual, the phrase “Below 7” (a blood threshold indicator) was originally shown in three places, while a decorative title banner dominated the scene. After redesign:

• “Below 7” was centered and highlighted in red
• Visual clutter was removed
• Learners’ eyes were drawn directly to the key number

Result: Learners immediately recognized the decision-making threshold without being distracted.

Function 2 — Leverage Prior Knowledge

Design Goal: Connect new content to what learners already know.

The brain learns by linking new information to existing schemas. If a concept feels completely unfamiliar, it becomes harder to process and retain. Visuals that activate or build on prior knowledge help anchor learning.

Use this function when:

• Introducing new or abstract ideas
• Learners vary in background knowledge
• Concepts build on earlier lessons

Red flags:

• Learners understand the words but not the meaning
• Concepts feel disjointed or abstract
• There’s no clear link between lessons

Design tactics:

• Use visual metaphors or analogies to simplify abstract ideas
• Include comparisons or side-by-side visuals
• Show concept maps or advance organizers
• Visually echo previous slides to build continuity

Example: In this video about the nervous system, we use a car metaphor to explain the body’s “brake and gas” systems:

• The sympathetic nervous system = the gas pedal
• The parasympathetic system = the brake The learners already understood what brakes and gas pedals do.

Result: Children quickly internalized the idea of emotional regulation through familiar imagery, even if they didn’t fully grasp the anatomical terms.

Related resource: 8 Best Examples of Mental Health Videos

Function 3 — Minimize Cognitive Load

Design Goal: Help learners process content without mental overload.

Working memory can only handle a few pieces of information at once. Complex or cluttered visuals overwhelm the learner, making even well-designed content difficult to absorb.

Use this function when:

• Teaching step-by-step procedures or dense processes
• Presenting new material that learners are unfamiliar with
• Layering text, audio, and visuals together

Red flags:

• Learners get confused or fatigued quickly
• Key points are skipped or skimmed
• Learners can’t repeat back what they saw

Design tactics:

• Use chunking — break content into smaller visual parts
• Reveal information gradually
• Pair visuals with narration (not dense on-screen text)
• Use simple, clean illustrations over complex realism
• Reduce background or decorative elements

Example:

To explain liver function to children, a video depicted the liver as a factory system:

• Food dropped into a funnel
• It was processed through a red pipe
• The outcome was “bottled” in a labeled container This metaphor simplified an otherwise abstract and complex biological process.

Result: Children understood the liver’s role through visual function, not anatomical structure.

Function 4 — Build Mental Models

Design Goal: Help learners organize and store knowledge in a meaningful way.

Long-term memory works by creating structure. A well-designed visual can offer learners a repeatable way to retrieve and apply concepts — not just memorize them.

Use this function when:

• Teaching systems, frameworks, or layered logic
• Learners need to apply information in flexible ways
• Concepts interconnect or follow patterns

Red flags:

• Learners remember individual facts but not how they relate
• Misconceptions surface in applied settings
• Learners can’t “see the big picture”

Design tactics:

• Use diagrams that show relationships (e.g., cause-effect, flowcharts)
• Introduce models consistently across slides/modules
• Align visuals with common metaphors or analogies
• Group related ideas together visually
• Use consistent visual grammar (icons, shapes, layout)

Example:

In this diabetes training module, we use a line graph to show how various types of insulin act over time:

• Each insulin type had a labeled curve
• Time, onset, and peak effect were visualized
• Product icons matched real insulin bottles

Result: Learners built a mental framework for comparing treatment plans, aiding both memory and clinical decisions.

Function 5 — Support Transfer

Design Goal: Help learners apply what they’ve learned in real-life contexts.

Many learning experiences break down when learners move from content to action. Visuals that simulate real environments or workflows help bridge that gap and encourage transfer.

Use this function when:

• The course prepares learners for a real task or tool
• Transfer is the primary goal (not just retention)
• Learners must make real decisions, not just recall facts

Red flags:

• Learners pass quizzes but fail in real settings
• Learners lack confidence when facing real tools or systems
• Learning feels too abstract

Design tactics:

• Use interface mockups, scenario walkthroughs, or decision trees
• Mirror real layouts and visual language
• Show visual consequences of learner decisions
• Avoid over-stylization — stay context-true
• Introduce real tools in a safe, simulated way

Example:

In a Frame.io training, learners were shown realistic video reviews in a simulated UI:

• Buttons, comments, and timelines were all clickable
• Learners practiced actual workflows inside the visual
• The training mirrored what they’d be doing immediately after

Result: By the end of training, users could confidently navigate the platform without second-guessing steps.

In a Frame.io training, learners were shown realistic video reviews in a simulated UI:

• Buttons, comments, and timelines were all clickable
• Learners practiced actual workflows inside the visual
• The training mirrored what they’d be doing immediately after

Result: By the end of training, users could confidently navigate the platform without second-guessing steps.

In an explainer video for Guardian Group, we avoided corporate stiffness:

• Opened with a relatable story
• Used smooth, friendly animation
• Showed visual transformation of the learning experience
• Ended with confident, clear takeaways

Result: The training felt modern, useful, and worth the learner’s time — driving both attention and emotional investment.

Related resource: Pros and Cons of Animated Educational Videos

Final Thoughts

Each psychological function is a design decision. And often, a strong visual serves more than one at the same time — guiding focus, reducing load, reinforcing memory, and motivating effort in a single stroke.

If your visuals aren’t serving one of these six goals, they might not be doing anything at all.

Coming Next

In the next article, we move from what visuals do to how to design them well.

We’ll break down the Visual Design Principles That Enhance Learning — from hierarchy and contrast to rhythm, layout, and unity — and show how each principle improves the psychological impact of your visuals.