Designing Visual Information Chapter 14 Designing Visual Information Technical Communication, 11th Edition John M. Lannon
Why Visuals Matter Visuals convey information quickly and efficiently, and help readers to understand Which information is most important What numbers mean, how processes work, or how something is organized What something looks like
When to Use Visuals Use visuals whenever they make your point clearer they enhance the text
How Visuals Work Enhance comprehension by displaying abstract concepts in concrete, geometric shapes Make meaningful comparisons possible Depict relationships Serve as a universal language Provide emphasis Focus and organize information, making it easier to remember
What Types of Visuals to Consider Graphs display numerical relationships Charts depict relationships Tables display organized lists of data Graphic illustrations rely on pictures
How to Select Visuals What is my purpose? Who is my audience? What form of information will be achieve my purpose for this audience?
Tables Tables are used to display dense textual information such as specifications, comparisons or conditions. No table should be overly complex for the intended audience. Tables work well for displaying exact values. Death Rates for Heart Disease Year Male Female 1980 369 305 1990 298 282 2000 256 260
Graphs Graphs translate numbers into shapes that are easy to interpret and compare. Types of graphs include Simple bar graphs Multiple-bar graphs Horizontal bar graphs Stacked bar graphs 100-percent bar graph Deviation bar graph 3-D bar graph
Line Graphs Line graphs can accommodate many more data points than a bar graph. Types of graphs include Simple line Graph Multiline Graph Deviation line Graph Band or area Graph Total Sales Volume Price
Charts Pie charts Organization charts Flowcharts Tree charts Gantt and PERT charts Pictograms
Sales of Pharmaceuticals by Division Example of a Pictogram Sales of Pharmaceuticals by Division Midwest West South Northeast $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000
Graphic Illustrations Diagrams Exploded Cutaway Block Maps Photographs
Software and Downloadable Images Using the Software Graphics software Presentation software Spreadsheet software Word-processing software Using Symbols and Icons Readily recognizable to a wide audience
Use Color To Organize To Orient To Emphasize
Ethical Considerations Avoid visual distortion Present the real picture. Present the complete picture. Don’t mistake distortion for emphasis. (An example of distortion is on the next slide.)
Example of Visual Distortion Sales of Beer by Store Avoid this graphic Use this graphic Sales of Beer by Store
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