You see a lot of visuals on LinkedIn. Most are forgettable. Some are cheap scroll-stoppers. And a rare few are actually great.

On Thursdays, I examine a visual, or “Intellectual Headshot” as I call them, that caught my eye, and break down why it works.

Today, it’s from “scale whisperer” Judson Rollins. Let’s dig in.

When creating visuals, there’s a natural temptation to to want to cram in as much information as possible.

But just as our eyes glaze over at presentation slides with blocks of bulleted text, your audience will also go into cognitive overwhelm from a noisy image.

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Now, there’s a place for those details you desperately want to share...

See #403 💡 Not all visuals are created equal for when a dense slide or infographic can be the right vessel.

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But when your objective is to share an interesting concept or POV and draw people in for a discussion, it’s best to distill it further.

Much much further.

Think: one message <—> one visual

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Judson did this quite well.

His written post goes into detail explaining the ‘efficiency paradox’, the perils of hourly billing, the implications of AI on professional services, and more.

But you don’t see any of that in his visual, intentionally.

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Rather, he zooms out and presents just the core problem:

• As expertise increases, income decreases

It stops you in your tracks, no?

Particularly the use of “Your expertise” or “Your income”

This subtle personalization prompts you to think “hey, that’s not fair!” or “yeah, that’s what I’m feeling” and encourages you to read more.

And it all happens in an instant, because it’s distilled and isolated.

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I like this example because it’s the kind of visual that makes it look too easy.

Like you couldn’t possibly put out something so elementary.

When in reality, a simple diagram like this is the product of asking yourself repeatedly:

• What is the crux of what I’m trying to say?
• What is the simplest way to articulate that visually?
• How can I do so while eliciting some feeling?
• And how can I inspire enough curiosity for the viewer to take action?

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Interestingly, this Headshot depicts an inverse relationship, while embodying another:

The simpler the visual, the heavier it lands.

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💡

-Wes

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P.S. Want help distilling your expertise into crisp "Intellectual Headshots" that speak for you and attract the right clients?

Check out my 1:1 sprint or schedule a free intro.