Gen Z is leading a visual communication revolution. Here's what leaders need to know

"There's a generational shift happening in workplaces that goes far deeper than debates about RTO or perks and snacks. Gen Z-the cohort that learned to communicate through stories, stickers, and swipe culture-is fundamentally reimagining how work gets done. After analyzing data from 2,475 professionals across our latest research, I'm convinced they're crafting the future of work. Gen Z intuitively understands something many organizations are still learning. As we live in a world drowning in information, clarity is a competitive advantage."

"Sound familiar? Workplace tools mirror social behaviors, just with a lag. Just like how early 2000s texting culture paved the way for Slack, we're now seeing Gen Z's visual-first communication style make its mark on how we collaborate at work. Technology isn't driving generational change, it's catching up to how people already interact. Now, all work is expected to be visual, collaborative, and intuitive by default."

"The goal remains constant-make every design count through compelling, memorable visuals that drive engagement. Among Gen Z professionals we surveyed, the majority say they do their best work visually and believe visual fluency makes them more valuable employees in addition to a critical skill to future-proof their careers. Other generations approach AI with varying degrees of skepticism or caution, but Gen Z sees it as a natural extension of their creative capabilities."

A generational change in workplaces shows Gen Z prioritizes visual, collaborative, and intuitive methods over text-heavy workflows. Visual clarity is treated as a competitive advantage amid information overload. Gen Z reports doing their best work visually and considers visual fluency a career-essential skill. Gen Z embraces AI as an extension of creativity while older cohorts express more skepticism. Legacy systems and fragmented tools impede Gen Z workflows, slowing productivity. Senior leaders face the dual task of translating complex ideas into clear visuals and cutting through visual clutter to reach target audiences. A majority of Gen Z want a shift to visual-first approaches.

Read at Fast Company