WHY AND WHEN SHOULD YOU USE VISUALS? By offering powerful new
ways of looking at data, visuals also reveal meanings that might
otherwise remain buried in lists of facts and figures. (Lannon 248,
my emphasis) In general, you should use visuals whenever they can
make your point more clearly than text or when they can enhance
your text. (Lannon 250, my emphasis)
Slide 4
VISUALS AND AUDIENCE Which information is most important?
Where, exactly, should the reader focus? What do these numbers
mean? What should the reader remember about this? What does it look
like? How is it organized? How is it done? How does it work? Which
information is most important? Where, exactly, should the reader
focus? What do these numbers mean? What should the reader remember
about this? What does it look like? How is it organized? How is it
done? How does it work?
Slide 5
KINDS OF VISUALS Tables: numerical, prose Charts: pie, flow,
tree, organizational, Gantt/PERT, pictograms Graphs: bar, line
Graphic illustrations: illustrations, diagrams, maps, videos,
photos, symbols, icons
Slide 6
TABLES
Slide 7
BAR GRAPHS
Slide 8
LINE GRAPHS
Slide 9
CHARTS
Slide 10
KINDS OF VISUALS Illustrations Diagrams Maps Photographs
Symbols/icons Videos
Slide 11
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Present the real picture. Present the
complete picture. Dont mistake distortion for emphasis. INSERTING
VISUALS INTO YOUR DOCUMENT Learn and understand the formatting
choices for inserting visuals according to the software you are
using. Include a functional and descriptive title and any other
necessary labeling information. If you have several tables or
figures in your document, label them chronologically (Table 1, 2,
3, etc.). Credit your source. Include where it came from and
copyright information, if applicable.
