What Is a Visual Metaphor (and How to Create One That Really Works)

In visual thinking, a metaphor is more than decoration. It’s a bridge between abstract ideas and concrete images, a way to help people see meaning instead of just reading or hearing it. When done well, a visual metaphor transforms a complex concept into an image that feels both intuitive and surprising.

But what exactly makes a metaphor visual, and how can you create one that actually works?

Icon vs. Metaphor: What’s the Real Difference?

An icon shows what something is. A metaphor shows what something means.

If you draw a light bulb to represent an idea, that’s an icon. It refers directly to a known symbol. But if you draw an elephant whose trunk forms the shape of a lightbulb, you're not just talking about "ideas" anymore. You are adding layers of meaning and weaving a story around it.

This doesn’t mean icons don’t work. It’s just better to use icons for explanations and metaphors for stories.

And remember: it’s better to have a story to look through life than an explanation. The reason is simple: a story is richer.

Story structure is the way we all absorb information best and retain it the longest. That’s why stories have existed on our planet for thousands of years.

Stories make information stick and metaphors help with that. They connect two worlds that don’t normally meet, and that’s where the magic happens.

Why Visual Metaphors Matter in Communication

1. They activate multiple layers of meaning.

A metaphor engages both logic and emotion. It speaks to the rational mind (“I understand”) and to the visual imagination (“I feel it”).

2. They make abstract concepts tangible.

This is important because people struggle with things they can’t see or touch. “Innovation” or “collaboration” can sound vague until you see them expressed as bridges, crossroads, or intertwined threads.

3. They are memorable.

Images that combine two ideas especially in disruptive ways, stick in our minds because they surprise us and make us think.

Three Creative Techniques to Create a Visual Metaphor

1. Visual Disruption

Take a familiar object and change one of its expected properties: size, material, or context, to reveal a new meaning. Example: A heart shaped like an iceberg, using its form and appearance to reflect a person’s traits or emotions.

2. Symbolic Fusion

Merge two elements into one impossible hybrid. Example: a brain shaped like a hand to illustrate “manipulation”

3. Context Shift

Place a common element in an unusual, even impossible environment. Example: A man swimming through desert sand, a visual metaphor for misguided actions in the wrong environment.”

Each of these techniques can be practiced and refined. The goal isn’t to draw better, but to think visually in a disruptive way, to train your mind to connect the invisible with the visible.

Common Visual Metaphor Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

• Overusing clichés. Light bulbs, ladders, megaphones, hourglasses, and puzzle pieces are fine, but they’ve lost much of their metaphorical power because they’re too predictable.
• Explaining the image with words. Every image can have different meanings depending on who is reading it. Let the visual do the thinking. Use text only if you want to anchor a precise meaning and if you do, keep it short.
• Forgetting to tell a story. Even if it’s a mini-story with just one metaphor, always try to say something, to deliver a message.

Final Thoughts: Think Differently, See Differently

Creating visual metaphors is not about drawing beautifully, it’s about thinking differently.

It’s a discipline that combines curiosity, observation, and imagination. Once you start seeing the world metaphorically, even the most ordinary object becomes a potential story.

Final advice in a short prompt: Embrace absurdity by asking “what if…” and complete the dots with an absurd situation. Everything is possible!

If you’d like to go deeper into this process, I explore these techniques step by step in my Visual Metaphors Course, where we turn abstract ideas into meaningful visuals through creative disruption and design thinking.

Written by Dario Paniagua — Visual Thinkers Coach and creator of the Visual Metaphors Course and Membership.