Chapter 14 - Designing Visual Information

Why Visuals Matter

• 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?
• What does it look like?
• How is it organized?
• How is it done?
• How does it work?

When To Use Visuals

In general, you should use visuals whenever they make your point more clearly than text or when they enhance your text.

Types of Visuals To Consider

• Tables
• Numerical Tables
• Prose Tables
• Graphs
• Bar Graphs
• Line Graphs
• Charts
• Pie Charts
• Organizational Charts
• Flow Charts
• Gantt Charts
• Tree Charts
• Pictograms
• Graphic Illustrations
• Representational Diagrams
• Symbols and icons
• Cutaway Diagrams
• Schematic Diagrams
• Maps
• Photographs
• Exploded Diagrams
• Visualization

How To Select Visuals

• What is my purpose?
• To convey the facts and figures alone, a table may be the best choice. But if I want to draw conclusions from that data, I may want to use a graph or chart to show comparison.
• To show parts of a mechanism, I probably want to use an exploded or cut away diagram, perhaps with a labeled photograph.
• To give directions, I may want to use a diagram.
• To show relationships, my best choice may be a flow chart or graph.
• Who is my audience?
• Expert audiences tend to prefer numerical tables, flowcharts, schematics, and complex graphs or diagrams that they can interpret for themselves.
• General audiences tend to prefer basic tables, graphs, diagrams, and other visuals that direct their focus and interpret key points extracted from the data.
• Cultural differences may come into play when selecting appropriate visuals.
• What form of information will best achieve my purpose for this audience?
• Is my message best conveyed by numbers, shapes, words, pictures, symbols?
• Will my audience most readily understand pictures or words? Line drawings or photographs? Symbols or numbers?

Tables

• Numerical tables present quantitative information
• Prose tables present qualitative information

Graphs

• Bar Graphs
• Simple Bar Graphs
• Multiple-Bar Graph
• Horizontal Bar Graph
• 100-Percent Bar Graph
• Deviation Bar Graph
• 3-D Bar Graph
• Guidelines for Displaying a Bar Graph
• Use a bar graph only to compare values that are noticeably different
• Keep the graph simple and easy to read
• Number your scales in units familiar to your audience
• Label both scales
• Label each bar or cluster of bars at its base
• Use tick marks to show the points of division on your scale
• Make all bars the same width
• Use a different pattern, color, or shade for each bar in a cluster in a multiple-bar graph
• Use darker bars
• Refer to the graph by number ("Figure 1") in your text, and explain what the user should look for
• Cite data sources beneath the graph
• Line Graphs
• Simple Line Graphs
• Multiline Graph
• Deviation Line Graph
• Band or Area Graph
• Multiple Band Graph
• Guidelines for Displaying a Line Graph
• Display no more than three or four lines on one graph
• Mark each individual data point used in plotting each line
• Make each line visually distinct (using colors, symbols, and so on)
• Label each line so users know what each one represents
• Avoid grid lines that users could mistake for plotted lines

Charts

• Pie Charts
• Guidelines for Displaying a Pie Chart
• Make sure the parts add up to 100 percent
• Differentiate each slice clearly
• Include a key, or legend, to identify each slice
• Combine very small segments under the heading "Other"
• For easy reading, keep all labels horizontal
• Organization Charts
• Flow Charts
• Tree Charts
• Gantt and PERT Charts
• Pictograms

Graphic Illustrations

• Diagrams
• Exploded Diagrams
• Cutaway Diagrams
• Block Diagrams
• Maps

Photographs

• Guidelines for using Photographs
• Simulate the reader's angle of vision
• Label all the parts readers need to identify
• Trim (crop) the photograph to eliminate needless detail
• Supplement the photograph with diagrams
• Provide a sense of scale for an object unfamiliar to the readers
• If your document will be published, attend to the legal aspects
• Explain what readers should look for in the photograph

Software and Downloadable Images

• Using the Software
• Graphics Software
• Presentation Software
• Spreadsheet Software
• Word-Processing Software
• Symbols and Icons
• Using Web Sites for Graphics Support
• Clip Art
• Photographs
• Art Images
• Maps
• International Symbols
• Audio and Video

Using Color

• Use Color to Organize
• Use Color to Orient
• Use Color to Emphasize
• Guidelines for Incorporating Color
• Use color sparingly
• Apply color consistently to like elements throughout the document
• Make color redundant
• Use a darker color to make a stronger statement
• Make color type larger or bolder than text type
• Create contrast

Ethical Considerations

• Present the Real Picture
• Present the Complete Picture
• Don't Mistake Distortion for Emphasis

Cultural Considerations

• Guidelines for Fitting Visuals with 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
• Introduce and interpret the visual
• Use prose captions to explain the important points made by the visual
• Eliminate "visual noise"
• Be sure the visual can stand alone