© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 1 Chapter 14 Designing Visuals Technical Communication, 9/e John M. Lannon PowerPoint prepared by Jimidene Murphy Tinkered with by Ray

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 2 Typical Audience Questions in Processing Information Which information is most important? Where, exactly should I focus? What do these numbers mean? What should I be thinking or doing? What should I remember about this? How is it organized? How is it done? How does it work?

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 3 How Visuals Work  Enhance comprehension  Make meaningful comparisons possible  Depict relationships  Serve as a universal language  Provide emphasis  Focus and organize information, making it easier to remember

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 4 When to Use Visuals When you want to instruct or persuade When you want to draw attention to something immediately important When you expect the document to be consulted randomly or selectively When you expect the audience to be relatively less educated, less motivated, or less familiar with the topic When you expect the audience to be distracted

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 5 What Types of Visuals to Use Graphs display numerical relationships Charts display parts of a whole Tables display organized lists of data Graphic illustrations show actual views

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 6 How to Select Visuals for Your Purpose and Audience Visual Plan Sheet

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 7 Tables  Tables are used to organize numerical data  No table should be overly complex for the intended audience  Tables are easy to construct through word processing and spreadsheet programs

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 8 Graphs Graphs convert numbers and words 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

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 9 Line Graphs  Simple line  Multiple line  Deviation line  Band or area Total Sales Volume Price

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 10 How to Display a Bar Graph Keep the graph simple and easy to read Number your scales in units the audience will find familiar and easy to follow Label both scales to show what is being measured or compared Label each bar or cluster of bars at its base Use marks to show the points of division on your scale

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 11 Charts  Pie charts  Organization charts  Flowcharts  Tree charts  Gantt and PERT charts  Ray’s Examples Ray’s Examples

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 12 Pictograms Sales of Pharmaceuticals by Division MidwestWestSouthNortheast $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 13 Graphic Illustrations Diagrams  Exploded  Cutaway  Block Maps Photographs

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 14 Computer Graphics  Select appropriate designs  Use clip art wisely and creatively  Use color to enhance, interpret, orient, and organize  Create Web pages that utilize color effectively

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 15 Avoid Visual Distortion  Present the real picture  Present the complete picture  Concentrate on emphasis, not distortion (An example of distortion is on the next slide.)

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 16 Example of Visual Distortion Sales of Beer by Store Avoid this graphic Use this graphic Sales of Beer by Store

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 17 More Examples of Visual Distortion Ray’s examples of unethical graphics Ray’s examples Ray’s examples of unclear graphics Ray’s examples

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 18 Fitting Visuals with Printed Text Place the visual where it will best serve your readers Never refer to a visual that readers cannot easily locate Never crowd a visual into a cramped space Number the visual and give it a clear title and labels Match the visual to your audience

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 19 Fitting Visuals with Printed Text Introduce and interpret the visual Use prose captions to explain important points made by the visual Never include excessive information in a visual Be sure the visual can stand alone

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 20 Now to work! Now you’ll take a shot at designing graphics. With your partner, complete Exercise 1, page 338. I’ll walk you through a how to use Excel to create these kinds of graphics.

© 2003 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 21 Any Questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at