Visual Organizers Tools to Present Your Ideas in a Better Way
Visually organizing information helps map the relationship of different nodes represented in the visualization. There are different types of visual organizers and tools that can be used for this purpose. If you would like to learn about the different visual organizers and methods to organize your information, let us provide you with a list of organizers and methods you can use.
What is a Visual Organizer?
A visual organizer or graphic organizer is a map that uses symbols to help explain different concepts and relationships between the nodes laid out in the form of a visual map. The main purpose of a visual organizer is to help aid learning and enable the instructor/presenter to explain information in the form of a visualization.
Different Types of Visual Organizers
A visual organizer is also called a graphic organizer, knowledge map, cognitive organizer, story map, and concept diagram. There are different types of visual organizers that are used to map information. These can be broadly placed in the below mentioned categories.
1. Relational Organizers
These are visual organizers show the relationship between the different pieces of information depicted in the visualization. Some relational organizers include storyboards, fishbone diagrams, and charts.
2. Classification Organizers
As the name suggests, a classification organizer categorizes information. Such organizers include concept maps, mind maps, and KWL tables or charts.
3. Compare Contrast Organizers
An example of a visual organizer is a Venn Diagram that falls under the category of compare and contrast organizer, where the logical relationship between sets is presented visually. Another example of a compare and contrast organizer is a Dashboard. If you are new to dashboards or need a template to create one, you might be interested in our pick for the best Dashboard PowerPoint Templates.
4. Sequence Organizers
Sequence organizers include visualizations consisting of chains, ladders, cycles, and stairs that sequence information visually.
5. Concept Development Organizers
Flowcharts depict information from start to end using symbols to reveal workflow or a process. Like flowcharts, a circle chart or story web weaves information in the form of concepts. Concept development organizers therefore help explain a concept visually.
6. Options and Control Device Organizers
Many users who use a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for a software or operating system or mechanical control panel might not see it as a visual organizer. However, in essence, it is just that.
Best Online Visual Organizers
If you are looking for an online visual organizer, there are many web-based tools that can help you create visualizations. These tools are usually meant for users who might not have extensive graphic design skills and would like a simple drag and drop organizer or step-by-step interface to create professional-looking visualizations.
Visme
Visme is a visual organizer that provides templates for creating infographics, social media graphics, product demos, presentations, and more. This comprehensive tool contains a number of handy features that enable creating visual content in just a few easy steps.
Infogram
Circly
Circly is an online platform meant to be used in collaboration with your team to visualize content for bringing together tasks, ideas, and reaching out to customers. The Circlyapp uses circular visualizations to help you collaborate and create content to categorize and organize your information.
Text 2 Mind Map
Pics.io
Pics.io is the all-in-one cost-effective visual organization solution for distributed teams that helps to keep all your visuals centralized, easily accessible at any time, and simple to search and share to work productively. With its help, you can easily develop a visual assets hub that maintains an easy-to-use digital library and aggregates every visual asset into one accessible location, and makes visuals easily discoverable for any team member.
SandDance by Microsoft
Using PowerPoint as a Visual Organizer
Using Google Slides as a Visual Organizer
Like PowerPoint, Google Slides can also be used as a visual organizer. Google Slides is also free to use unlike PowerPoint, which only provides a limited version via its PowerPoint Online web app. The collaboration tools offered by Google Slides for free enable integration with a variety of apps for free, without the need for using a desktop application with installed add-ins. Combining Google slides with any of our slide templates, you can create amazing presentations to be used as visual organizers.
You can learn more about the various differences between PowerPoint Online and Google Slides from our post Google Slides versus PowerPoint Online: The Cloud Presentation Battle.
Final Words
Does your work require a professional-like structure, yet you still want to keep things fresh? Visual organizers provide a way to get your creative juices flowing while staying organized. A visual organizer can have many purposes, ranging from visualizing and categorizing information to making it easier to assign and see the progress for tasks, to determine process or workflow, cause, and effect or to graphically present an interface that can be used by end users. The type of visual organizer used will depend upon the needs of the user and the audience. Either way, visual organization tools as simple as Visme or Infogram or as complex as SandDance enable turning information into stories that are easy to explain by the presenter and simple to understand by the audience.
