Graphics – Part1

Why use graphics u Different learning styles u Many things are hard to explain in text u Provides interest u Relationships are visual

Use relevant graphics u Graphic draws the eye First thing the reader will see on a page u Choose graphics that support and expand upon the text u Give the graphics the same look & feel u Use graphics appropriate to the audience

How relevant u Questions to ask is: –What does the graphic add? –Why bother? –How does this enhance the material? u Large, but not relevant graphics are distracting. The reader tries to make sense of it.

Same look & feel u Give the graphics the same look & feel

All images are similar

Inserting graphics into text u Place after first text reference u Always use a caption Figure captions go below Table captions go above u Don’t leave excess white space either before or within the graphic u Minimize use of boxes or lines around the graphic

Placement on the page u Graphic draws the eye First thing the reader will see on a page u A graphic is placed too low on the page, it pulls the eye to it and causes skipping of the material above it. u Photographs of people are always the first thing noticed. If you have one, it must contribute to the communication.

Graphic numbering u Figures and tables are numbered separately (If it’s not a table, then it’s a figure) u Start both at 1 and continue to end of document u Folio numbering (1.3, 4.2) are only used when the document contains chapters

White space around graphic

Figures fit within the margins

What is perception difference?

Use of graphs

Avoid 3D graphs

2D versus 3D

Bar versus line graphs u Bar Discrete data u Line Continuous data u Not interchangeable u Not what looks best to you

Avoid overly large simple graphs

Use true scales (start at zero)

Time scales left to right

Use entire graph

Have scale make sense

Data with ranges What if this was data from a customer satisfaction survey from each of your 52 stores. Overall customer satisfaction has not changed much (although the left hand graph uses poor scaling to make it seem it has. But the ranges between stores is much greater than the change in the average. Business decisions often need to focus on how to tighten up that range.

Same info. Different scale. Are they the same?

Putting graphs side by side Sales Revenue in US from Sales Revenue Outside US from

Text and graph support each other u During the past four years the number of pages produced monthly by each writer has increased. In 1991, we produced 40 pages per month, in 1992 the production was 44 pages, in 1993 it was 55 pages, in 1994 it jumped to 58 pages, and in 1995 production was 60 pages per month. Figure 1 shows this change. u Text just repeats the graph

Text and graph support each other u Figure 1 reveals a steady increase in page production. During the past four years the number of pages produced monthly by each writer has continued to increase at a rate of about 2 pages per year. Growing from 40 pages per month in 1991 to 60 pages per month in The jump between 1992 and 1993 occurred when we switched to Frame. u Text interprets the graph

Color

Color in graphics u Web has lots of colored figures, but most technical documents are produced in black and white. u Loss of color can create a gray blob. u Convert the graphic to BW with a image program, do not let the copier do it.

Gray scale u 9 steps of gray u Eye is best at lighter shades of gray u False color is really gray scale –Grays are converted to color –Easier for eye to see/compare colors

Color and BW graphic

Changing images to grayscale

Color in printing u Each color requires a separate printing step u 2 colors doubles the cost u Full color –Uses 4 inks –Most expensive printing process u Crisp color requires coated paper (more $$$)

Color touching color u Eye is very good at comparing two colors when they are close u Very poor at subtle differences when it cannot see the them or they are separated u Touching colors can be almost the same u The more separation, the more contrast the color needs to be distinguished u If not seen at same time, use different colors

Color contrast illusion u Horizontal rows are the same color

Color blindness u About 10% of male audience is colorblind u Must watch the color choices, especially on graphs Normal Red-greenBlue-yellow

Line drawing vs. photos

Line drawing or photo u Line drawing –Emphasis on specific parts –Can remove extra material –Some things are too big to photograph u Photo –Gives better overall image –Contains lots of extra material

Power window switch

FedEx sort facility

Line drawings

Ethernet card images u Note how shading helps in the drawing

Bitmapped graphics u Word uses graphics that are bitmapped. You can reduce, but not enlarge them without losing clarity. u Bitmapped means they are made of lots of little pixels, with each pixel being one color.

Enlarged bitmapped graphic

Resizing u Programs can resize proportionally or not. Means both dimensions change equally. u In essentially all Windows-based programs, use the corner handle bars. u Shift-corner handle bars should cause a proportional resize

Resize example

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