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As a society we are becoming more reliant on effective visuals, and the same holds true for intelligence and policy communications. Years ago, analysts were told, after finishing the text of a paper, to “find some pictures to pretty it up.” There is a much keener understanding now that visuals need to be weight-bearing—carrying part of the burden of the analytic message. It is hard to imagine any graduate of SAIS will (or should) avoid the use of visuals to convey critical messages to senior policymakers in his or her future career. The literature on what makes effective visuals is vast. Much of it is based on serious academic studies, not simply assertions based on individual taste or “that’s how we’ve always done it.” In this PSC we will look at the principles of effective visuals and learn to apply them—and learn to spot problematic visuals in the review stage before they get printed and distributed.