Numbers and facts can be difficult to comprehend when they’re merely symbols on the screen. However, data becomes much more evident once it is visualized.
The subreddit r/CooolGuides is an excellent example of this axiom. Its 5.9 million members share charts, diagrams, maps, and other thought-provoking pictures on sports, travel, history, and virtually every subject you can imagine.
We at Bored Panda love them and have already covered the online community numerous times, but they’ve made so many interesting posts since the last one that we just had to put together a new collection of our recent favorites.
#1 A Cool Guide To Pop vs. Actual Psychology
Image credits: ComparisonNo5776
#2 A Cool Guide To The Do’s And Don’ts When Visiting Germany
Image credits: Queengirl811
There’s a study from 2023 that shows how effective visuals can be. Researchers Amjaad Mansour Alwadei and Mohammed Ali Mohsen conducted a 10-week experiment involving 41 Arab college students learning English.
The students were divided into two groups: one learned vocabulary through traditional methods, while the other used infographics tailored to their course material. These infographics transformed standard vocabulary lessons into engaging visual narratives, making complex words more accessible and memorable.
The results were striking: students who used infographics performed better in both recognizing and using new vocabulary, not just immediately after the lessons, but even weeks later. They also reported finding the visual approach more engaging and helpful compared to traditional methods.
#3 A Cool Guide: This Is Pretty Cool From Visual Capitalist! The Biggest Employer In Each State Of The USA
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#4 A Cool Guide Showing The Most Expensive Colleges And Universities In Every State
Image credits: Mister__Magoo
#5 A Cool Guide To How Much Olympic Athletes Get Paid For Winning Medals 🥇🥈🥉
Image credits: johnmichael-kane
Psychologist Haig Kouyoumdjian, Ph.D., says, “Words are abstract and rather difficult for the brain to retain, whereas visuals are concrete and, as such, more easily remembered.”
To illustrate, he suggests a similar scenario to that in the aforementioned study, only with a more exciting twist. “Think about your past school days of having to learn a set of new vocabulary words each week. Now, think back to the first kiss you had or your high school prom date.”
“Most probably, you had to put forth great effort to remember the vocabulary words. In contrast, when you were actually having your first kiss or your prom date, I bet you weren’t trying to commit them to memory. Yet, you can quickly and effortlessly visualize these experiences (now, even years later). You can thank your brain’s amazing visual processor for your ability to easily remember life experiences. Your brain memorized these events for you automatically and without you even realizing what it was doing,” the psychologist explains.
#6 A Cool Guide To Pricing At Costco
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#7 A Cool Guide To Right Frame For Your Shape
Image credits: Admirable-binladen
#8 A Cool Guide To The Most Popular Grocery Store By State
Image credits: Dremarious
#9 A Cool Guide To The Richest People In History (Adjusted For Inflation)
Image credits: tfhalford
According to Kouyoumdjian (and as we can see from this list), “Various types of visuals can be effective learning tools: photos, illustrations, icons, symbols, sketches, figures, and concept maps, to name only a few.”
Just consider how memorable the visual graphics are in famous company logos! We instantly recognize the brand by seeing the visual graphic, even before reading the name.
#10 A Cool Guide To The Most Oddly Named Town In Each State
Image credits: Onereasonwhy
#11 A Cool Guide To Improving Your Vocabulary
Image credits: TaloulahRu
#12 A Cool Guide To The Most Reliable Car Brands
Image credits: WestArtichoke712
The psychologist believes visual learning is so powerful that he embraces it in his teaching and writing, too.
“Each page in the psychology textbooks I coauthor has been individually formatted to maximize visual learning. Each lecture slide I use in class is presented in a way to make the most of visual learning,” Kouyoumdjian says.
#13 A Cool Guide To Where You’re Most Likely To Get A Speeding Ticket In The US
Image credits: Brix001
#14 A Cool Guide To Causes Of Burnout
Image credits: offensive-but-true
#15 A Cool Guide To How American Households Have Changed Over Time (1960-2023)
Image credits: moktadirr_
#16 A Cool Guide How To Shovel Snow Off A Driveway Properly
Image credits: fieryangeldream
Kouyoumdjian believes the right visuals can help make abstract and difficult concepts more tangible and welcoming, as well as make learning more effective and long-lasting. This is why he scrutinizes every visual he uses in his work—to make sure it is paired with content in a clear, meaningful manner.
#17 A Cool Guide On Measuring Rice The Asian Style
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#18 A Cool Guide To Light Pollution
Image credits: backseatofthehearse
#19 A Cool Guide To Composition Examples
Image credits: bigboobieweewoo
#20 A Cool Guide To Raise Awareness About Opossum
Image credits: DreamyHon
“Based upon research outcomes, the effective use of visuals can decrease learning time, improve comprehension, enhance retrieval, and increase retention. In addition, the many testimonials I hear from my students and readers weigh heavily in my mind as support for the benefits of learning through visuals,” Kouyoumdjian concludes.
You can view this list as sort of a mini experiment as well. For example, think about how little time it took you to scroll through the pictures and the vast amount of information you gathered from them. Pretty effective means of communication, don’t you think?
#21 A Cool Guide To Top 25 Booze Loving Countries
Image credits: everydayasl
#22 A Cool Guide On Certain Types Of Futurism In Fiction
Image credits: urnaughtygirlf
#23 A Cool Guide To The Millennium Falcon Layout
Image credits: sunbellgreen
#24 A Cool Guide To Dante’s Inferno, Purgatory And Paradise
Image credits: Aayush0210
#25 A Cool Guide To Moments That Shaped The Internet
Image credits: DrNinnuxx
#26 A Cool Guide To Popular Tourist Scams
Image credits: tribhuz
#27 A Cool Guide To Knowing Who Is Spending The Most Money To Influence Us Politics In 2024
Image credits: levine2112
#28 A Cool Guide About Wind Effects
Image credits: sassymusedream
#29 A Cool Guide Of How Depression Brainwashes You
Image credits: anxiety_support
#30 A Cool Guide To Us States That Have A Rat Problem
Image credits: silromen
#31 A Cool Guide To Visually Understand The Underside Of Your Car
Image credits: GrassChew
#32 A Cool Guide On Hand Signs For Loud Bars
Image credits: monstrousmastermind
#33 A Cool Guide To How Rich People Pay No Taxes
Image credits: TubbyPiglet
#34 A Cool Guide To 12 Brutal Career Thruts
Image credits: bayern80
#35 A Cool Guide On Making Your Employee Stay In Your Company
Image credits: SydneyPretty
#36 A Cool Guide About The Map Of The US States That Pays More Tax Than What They Receive From The Government, Courtesy Of Cgp Grey
Image credits: Illustrious_Job_6260
#37 A Cool Guide To Used Cars To Avoid
Image credits: PittOlivia
#38 A Cool Guide To Napping
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