1. Designing Visual Information
Chapter 14
Designing Visual Information
Technical Communication, 11th Edition
John M. Lannon

2. 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

3. When to Use Visuals Use visuals whenever they make your point clearer
they enhance the text

4. 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

5. What Types of Visuals to Consider
Graphs display numerical relationships
Charts depict relationships
Tables display organized lists of data
Graphic illustrations rely on pictures

6. How to Select Visuals What is my purpose? Who is my audience?
What form of information will be achieve my purpose for this audience?

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Charts Pie charts Organization charts Flowcharts Tree charts
Gantt and PERT charts
Pictograms

11. 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

12. Graphic Illustrations
Diagrams
Exploded
Cutaway
Block
Maps
Photographs

13. 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

14. Use Color
To Organize
To Orient
To Emphasize

15. 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.)

16. Example of Visual Distortion
Sales of Beer by Store
Avoid this graphic
Use this graphic
Sales of Beer by Store

17. Any Questions?
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