chapter M Copyright 2010 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin three Using Visuals in Written and Oral Communication Well chosen visuals help convey messages quickly and accurately. 3-2 UCSD Virtual Reality Labs Giant Spirals Source: San Diego Union Tribune, September 16, 2008. 3-3 Overview Understanding the Visual Communication Process Choosing the Right Visual Text-based visuals Data-generated graphs and mashups Other visuals The planning and placement of visuals Managing Visual Mechanics Making Document Design Decisions 3-4 Understanding the Visual Communication Process Planning Gathering and Collecting Analyzing and Organizing Choosing a Form Placing and Interpreting Evaluating 3-5 Planning Clarify complex or difficult information Emphasize facts Add coherence Summarize Provide interest Filter vast amounts of data Enhance appearance 3-6 Gathering and Collecting Mine data you or your company has already collected Gather new data internally or externally 3-7 Analyzing and Organizing Analyze the data to gain a clear understanding of what you have Organize the data to convey your message clearly to your reader 3-8 Choosing a Form Select visuals to convey meaning quickly, accurately, and completely Review content for ways visuals help communicate it. Consider context of the audience that will use it. 3-9 Placing and Interpreting Place and use visuals near discussion of them. Use an incidental reference to a visual carrying the primary message Interpret thoroughly when words are carrying the primary message. One method begins with a generalization or summary statement followed by examples and any exceptions. Supplemental visuals should be placed in an appendix or at the end of a document or presentation. 3-10 Evaluating Ethically bound to present visuals with integrity. Build credibility with accurate visuals by avoiding common errors. Errors of scale (Uniform scale size, Scale distortion, Zero points) Errors of format (Wrong chart type, Distracting grids and shading, Misuse of typeface, Problems with labels) Errors of misleading context (Objective framing, Reader empathy) Ensure clarity through careful choices of format decisions and through factoring in context. Create appeal that helps audience retain the information. 3-11 Choosing the Right Visual Text-based Visuals Data-generated Visuals Other Visuals 3-12 Text-based Visuals Tables Pull Quotes Bullet Lists Text-based Charts Organization charts Flowcharts Gantt charts Decision trees Good Arrangement of the Parts of a Typical Table Table IAverage Annual Returns of Various Hedge Fund Categories* Short termLong term Category1-year3-year5-year10-year Aggressive Growth Distressed Securities Managed Futures Market Timing Short Selling Value *For years ending September 30 Source: Van Hedge Fund Advisors International Inc. Spanner Heads Source Acknowledgement Table Number and Title Column Heads Row Heads Footnote 3-13 Source: Thomas V. Bonoma, Major Sales: Who Really Does the Buying?, Harvard Business Review, July-August 2006, 181. Pull Quote 3-14 An Organization Chart with Employee Names Yesaya Chan President Carolynn Workman Controller Rosemary Lenaghan Stephen Acord Lydia Liedman Jane Adami VP, R&D Mary Sanchez Megan O'Conner Paul Wong Robert Edwards VP, Marketing Marie Murphy Eulalia Gomez Carol Acord VP, PR Terrence Lenaghan Matthew Gregory Kathleen Meersman Cecelia Kubicek Troy Payton Owen Smith VP, MIS Zeke Smith Emma York Marina Munson Janet Wingler Chris VanLerBerghe Executive Assistant Chart 4 U.S. Corporate Office of Thankyoutoo.com, 2009 Thankyoutoo.com 3-15 3-16 Data-generated Graphs and Mashups Bar and Column Charts Bars & Columns Multiple Bilateral Stacked Pictographs Pie Charts Line Charts Area (surface) Hi-Lo X-Y (Scatter) Charts Combination Charts & Mashups Illustration of Good Arrangement of the Parts of a Simple Bar Chart Bar titlesChart numberChart title Source noteScale captionScale value 3-17 Clustered Bar Chart 3-18 Bilateral Column Chart KMB 3-19 Stacked Column Chart with Bars of Unequal Lengths 3-20 Stacked Column Chart with Bars of Equal Lengths 3-21 Pictograph Example Source: U. S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Pie Chart 3-23 Line Chart Comparing More than One Series 3-24 Area Chart 3-25 X-Y (Scatter) Diagram 3-26 X-Y (Scatter) Diagram 3-27 Source:http://finance.yahoo.com, September 19, 2008.http://finance.yahoo.com High-Low Chart (Candlestick variation) 3-28 Mashup 3-29 3-30 Other Visuals Maps Statistical Geographical Three-dimensional Visuals Photographs Diagrams, Drawings, and such Cartoons Video clips Animation 3-31 Map: Statistical 3-32 Map: Geographical Source: Centers for Disease Control, September 19, Map: Geographical 3-34 2/18/2016 Map: Geographical and Statistical 3-35 Source:http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2006/0327/112a.htmlhttp://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2006/0327/112a.html Three-dimensional Graph Source: SPSS.com SPSS.com 3-36 2/18/2016 Photograph Example 3-37 Cartoon 3-38 3-39 Managing Visual Mechanics Size Determination Layout Arrangement Type Rules and Borders Color and Cross-Hatching Clip Art Background Numbering Construction of Titles and Captions Placement of Titles and Captions Footnotes and Acknowledgments 3-40 Size Determination Give the visual the size its contents justify. Simple visuals can be small Complex visuals must be large enough to see clearly Consider using extra large paper for extremely complex visuals. 3-41 Layout Arrangement Let size and content determine layout. Select type style and font for consistency. Determine size appropriate with context. Choose for readability. 3-42 Type Be consistent with style and font use throughout a document or presentation. Use fonts optimized for the medium used display or print. Choose font sizes for readability that is appropriate for the context. 3-43 Rules and Borders Provide unity for visual. Separate visual from text. Give emphasis. Surround visual of less than one page. Stay within normal page layout. Color and Cross-Hatching Helps reader see comparisons and distinctions Improves comprehension, retention, and ease and speed of extracting information. Adds to attractiveness. 3-44 3-45 Clip Art Use to add interest, avoiding overuse and distraction. Select with a purpose in mind. Keep its nature and size appropriate. Select for appropriate gender, race, and age representation. Get permission to use copyrighted art.` 3-46 Background Choose contrasting color to avoid distracting from main message. Use to draw the reader into the visual. Take care to avoid evoking inappropriate emotions. Review the background message for sensitivities of the readers. 3-47 Numbering Number visuals consecutively by type. Arrange visuals into several categories if report contains many types. Group into two categories (tables and figures) when report has wide mixture of types. 3-48 Construction of Titles and Captions Wording Titles Construct a title that describes entire visual, using the 5Ws and 1H Consider a subtitle to explain the title more precisely 3-49 Placement of Titles and Captions Placing Titles For conventional use, place titles above and in larger type for tables; below and in lowercase for others. Place title consistently above both types when appropriate. 3-50 Footnotes and Acknowledgments Use footnotes to explain or elaborate. Use acknowledgments to identify the party responsible for gathering data. 3-51 Making Document Design Decisions Layout Art Color Of all methods for analyzing and communicating statistical information, well-designed data graphics are usually the simplest and at the same time the most powerful. --Edward Tufte, Author The Visual Display of Quantitative Information 3-52 Discuss the following visuals use and effectiveness 3-53 2/18/2016 Gannt/Time Chart 3-54 Diagram 3-55 Combination Chart 3-56 Background Photograph: Appropriate? 3-57 3-58 Photograph 3-59 Diagram Source: Communications of the ACM, April 2006, p 3-61 3-62 X-Y (Scatter) Diagram 3-63 Decision Tree 3-64 2/18/2016 Pictograph Example 3-65 Pictograph Example 3-66 Stacked 3-D Column Chart 3-67 Combination Chart 3-68