Seeing more than reading:The visual mode in utilities' sustainability reports

The analysis of semiotic modes of communication used in corporate reports is very relevant for understanding how meanings are communicated to readers or viewers. But researchers' interest has mainly focused on verbal and numerical modes of communication, and the focus on the visual mode has been very limited. This paper contributes to filling this gap through an explorative analysis of how the visual artefacts are used with the text (verbal and numerical) in utilities' corporate sustainability reports. Results show that visual artefacts are more used for captivating readers' or viewers' attention, spatializing and materializing concepts than infiltrating meanings.