Building your culture one picture at a time
For the latest in our series on creating culture at work, Scriberia co-founder Chris Wilson shares how we Scriberians use visuals to strengthen our own organisational culture - and why investing in it is one of the smartest moves you can make.
Every organisation talks about culture. But have you asked yourself - what does internal company culture really mean for your team? Is it something your employees feel and live every day, or does it sit buried in a dusty slide deck no one revisits? For change managers and organisational leaders navigating the dynamics of every kind of workplace - real, hybrid and remote - strengthening company culture isn’t just a checkbox, it’s a competitive advantage.
Visual communication is a game-changing tool to bridge the gap between abstract cultural concepts and tangible, actionable values. By showing instead of just telling, companies can transform their culture into something their team can see, relate to and live by. Visuals don’t just explain; they make your values unmissable and your culture stronger.
That’s why at Scriberia, (and yes, perhaps we’re a little biased here), we firmly believe there’s no better way to bring your culture to life than with visuals.
Creating common understanding
Your values, vision and mission are the cornerstones of your culture. But if these foundations are buried in a handbook or a sea of emails, they’re unlikely to resonate or inspire your team. Visual storytelling changes that - it transforms those big ideas into something concrete, clear and engaging.
Because making pictures is what we do, we’ve embraced visuals as part of our culture-building process at Scriberia. We’ve visualised our values, illustrated our OKRs and created infographics to bring our behaviours to life. We’ve mapped out how our organisation works, how teams connect and how our internal processes flow.
"Wherever there’s something complex to explain or make sense of, we create a picture - and it works."
Chris Wilson, Scriberia
We’ve made explainer animations to show clients exactly what to expect when working with us. And even sketchnoted Scriberia's own guidelines for internal meetings (see below).
Wherever there’s something complex to explain or make sense of, we create a picture - and it works. And when something isn't working, we draw that out too. We visualise the pitfalls and poke holes in our plans because, when we all share a perspective, we have greater confidence in taking our next step together.
Make your culture accessible - anywhere
Four years ago, our entire team was based in our London office. Back then, our culture grew naturally within the walls of our office, shaped by social interactions and shared spaces.
Fast forward to today and things look very different. With our team spread across the country, we’ve had to be much more intentional about what our culture means and how we communicate it. For many organisations like ours, hybrid and remote work is now the norm. That means your culture needs to transcend physical boundaries. It’s not enough to just talk about your values - you need to show them, live them and make them actionable.
Visuals are incredibly powerful for doing just that. They make your shared values tangible, accessible and relevant to everyone, no matter where they are.
Keep evolving
Culture isn’t static. It grows and evolves alongside your organisation. Your visuals should too. Updating them to reflect changes in your mission, values or ways of working signals to your team that your culture is alive and adaptable.
At its core, culture is about connection - connection to your organisation’s purpose, to your team and to every individual’s role in your shared success. Visuals act as the bridge that strengthens these connections.
The result? A workplace where people don’t just work, they belong, believe and thrive.