Persuasive visualizations build upon common cultural expectations. They develop and distill a story theme into its key components and land on the right image to capture its essence. That image will compel attention and belief if it fits the story being told and if it is immediately accessible to ordinary common sense (making it ‘self-evident’).
The most salient image is the by-product of cultural and cognitive understanding integrated with aesthetic craft and technical know-how. This is the art and science of visual persuasion. This is the formula for turning well designed information into strategic meaning.