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Chapter 7

Chapter 7. Using Audience-Centered Visuals. Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace Laura J. Gurak John M. Lannon. Why Visuals Matter. Visuals convey information quickly and efficiently, and they help readers understand Which information is most important

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Chapter 7

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  1. Chapter 7 Using Audience-Centered Visuals Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace Laura J. Gurak John M. Lannon

  2. Why Visuals Matter Visuals convey information quickly and efficiently, and they help readers 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 Visuals work to: • 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. Tables display organized lists of data Graphs display numerical relationships Charts depict relationships Graphic illustrations rely on pictures What Types of Visuals to Consider

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

  7. 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. Tables Death Rates for Heart Disease

  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. Total Sales Price Volume 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

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

  11. Sales of Pharmaceuticals by Division $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 West South Northeast Midwest Example of a Pictogram

  12. Graphic Illustrations • Diagrams • Exploded • Cutaway • Block • Maps • Photographs

  13. 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.

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

  15. For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at http://www.pearsonhighered.com/gurak. Any Questions?

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