Christmas is, like other religious festivals, a season built on visual storytelling. From the moment the first string of lights is switched on, the world shifts into a shared visual language that transcends sectors, cultures, and generations.

For leaders within organisations, this season offers a powerful reminder - that visual imagery has the ability to shape emotion, enhance connection, and bring people together in ways that words alone rarely achieve. 

Think about it: the festive period is understood almost entirely through visual imagery. A simple star evokes hope. A colour palette of reds, greens and warm golds sparks recognition, nostalgia, and anticipation.

This is no small thing when it comes to branding and communication. Christmas demonstrates, at a global scale, that:

·      Imagery swiftly creates shared understanding

·      Symbols activate memory and emotion

·      Visual cues unify people around common experiences

At a time of year when we’re bombarded with information, well designed visual communication cuts through the noise with remarkable clarity and impact.

What’s truly powerful is that the psychological mechanisms behind festive imagery are the very same principles that make visual thinking such a transformative tool in organisations.

Christmas imagery works because it is:

1.        Instantly understood

Just like a well-drawn strategic picture or visual framework, festive icons require no explanation. They communicate at speed.

2.        Emotionally resonant

Christmas visuals connect to both head and heart. They help us feel something, as all great communication should.

3.        Universally accessible

Visual language lowers barriers. At Christmas, children and adults, regardless of background, understand the narrative. In organisations, the same is true - visual communication brings people onto the same page.

4.        Memorable

A strong image lingers long after the meeting—or the season—has ended.

This is why leaders use visual imagery to communicate strategy, culture and change consistently to see stronger engagement, alignment and follow-through.

If Christmas can turn ordinary streets into shared storytelling spaces, imagine what deliberate visual communication can do for an organisation or team navigating transformation or uncertainty. It’s no coincidence that some of the most effective organisational cultures are also the most visual.

A season to reflect and reimagine how we communicate

As we step into the festive period, we are surrounded by visual cues that make us feel connected, hopeful, and part of something larger. This isn’t seasonal magic; it’s the power of imagery doing what it does best. Christmas shows us that imagery is more than decoration. It is communication at its most human.