Effective communication should address both linear and 3D thinkers
Linear thinking people process thoughts and ideas in succession, logically moving from one point to the next
3D thinking people jump from one thought or idea to another, which often seems to have little connection with each other.
Printed material, such as magazines and books, lend themselves to linear thinking. Digital content, such as websites and social media, lend themselves to 3D thinking.
We must learn to communicate with both linear thinkers and 3D thinkers.
To make books accessible to people who process in 3D, we should put content in short, self-contained sections, provide sidebars and ancillary information, offer links, and make content easy for readers to scan.
To make websites and social media accessible to people who process linearly, we should put content in a format allowing sequential access, offer structure to those who seek it and provide indexes or directories.
Our world contains both linear and 3D thinkers. If we only address one group, we ignore half the market.
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Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.
