The Hidden Architecture of a Memorable Message
What's the link between designer heels, a good bra and an effective message?
Not Madonna, but OK - that’s one acceptable answer.
What I'm talking about is hidden architecture.
You can spot a well-structured message in seconds. You can also spot a chaotic one in that time - usually because your eyes glaze over and your brain exits the premises.
People often think good communication is all about tone, personality, or finding the right adjective. And while those things help, they're the stylistic elements. The 'how' rather than the 'what'. Nice to have; not what keeps your instep from collapsing.
The real foundation is structure: the invisible scaffolding underneath.
A viewer or reader needs to understand quickly:
What this is
Why it matters
Where it's going
Whether they should care
If those anchors aren't in the right place, the message becomes a guessing game. And none of us have the time or inclination to work out what someone is trying to say (unless they're a child. Or a pet. Or an alien).
With some ad campaigns or trailers, confusion reigns. You honestly wonder if you missed something. Some vital piece of information everyone else has, but not you. And then you’re asking more questions than your Nanna during a Christopher Nolan film.
Inside organisations, you see the same issue in leadership updates, change announcements, campaign rollouts, and anything involving acronyms.
The message technically 'contains the information' but not in an order that helps an actual human being absorb it.
A good message has a spine. It doesn't need the character arcs of a major motion picture, but it does need a shape:
Orientation: What is this? What's the point?
Clarity: What does it mean for me? Do I need to do anything?
Momentum: Where is this heading?
Resolution: What happens next?
People remember the shape of a message and how it made them feel. How it moved from confusion to clarity, from question to answer, from uncertainty to direction.
Once the structure is solid, everything else (tone, visuals, rhythm, pace) falls into place. It also saves time, reduces rewrites, and prevents the dreaded comment: 'I couldn't really follow it, so I just deleted it'.
Structure isn't restrictive, it's supportive.
It gives your message a shape people can follow, even when they're tired or distracted.
Get the architecture right, and your message will be polished and memorable, like a timeless icon.