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Chapter 14:

Using Visuals to Make Your Point

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• Plan which parts of your document should be supported by visuals.

• Understand how visuals are presented—size, layout, type, rules, borders, etc.

• Construct textual graphics.• Construct visual graphics.• Learn common errors in constructing and using

graphics.• Place and interpret visuals effectively.

Chapter Overview

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Planning the Visuals

• Determine the purpose.– Overall purpose: to communicate– Specific purposes

• Clarify complex or difficult information• Emphasize facts• Add coherence • Summarize• Provide interest• Filter vast amounts of data• Enhance appearance

• Select the visuals.– Nature of the content and context– Reader’s needs

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Constructing Visuals

• Size• Layout and Type• Rules and Borders• Color and Cross-Hatching • Clip Art• Background• Numbering• Construction and Placement of Titles• Footnotes and Acknowledgments

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Size

• Size the graphic according to its contents. – Simple graphics can be small.– Complex graphics must be large enough to see

clearly.

• Consider using extra large paper for extremely complex graphics.

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Layout and Type

• Let size and content determine layout.• Select type style and font for consistency.• Determine the size appropriate for the

context.• Choose layout and type that are easily

readable.

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Rules and Borders

• Rules and borders– Provide unity for a graphic or among graphics.– Separate the graphic from text.– Emphasize a graphic’s contents.

• Rules and borders should be used especially for graphics of less than one page.

• Rules and borders should stay within page/text margins.

14-8

Color and Cross-Hatching

• Help the reader see comparisons and distinctions.

• Improve comprehension, retention, and the ease and speed of extracting information.

• Make a graphic more visually appealing.

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

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Clip Art

• Use it to add interest.• Avoid overusing clip art.• Select clip art with a purpose in

mind.• Keep its nature and size

appropriate.• Select clip art that is

appropriate for the audience.• Get permission to use

copyrighted art.

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Wording and Placing Titles

• Wording– Construct a title that describes the entire graphic,

using the 5 Ws and 1H.– Consider a subtitle to explain the title more

precisely.– Capitalize using title case.

• Placing– Tables: Place the title above the table.– Other graphics: Place the title either above or

below the graphic (be consistent).

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Footnotes and Acknowledgments

• Use footnotes to explain or elaborate.• Use acknowledgments to identify the party

responsible for gathering data.

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Visual Integrity: 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

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Placing and Interpreting Graphics

• Place as close to discussion of the graphic as possible.

• Place supplemental graphics in an appendix.• Omit graphics that don’t serve a purpose.• Tell reader when to look at the graphic.• Interpret the graphic using a GEE strategy

(generalizationexampleexception).

14-14

“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, AuthorThe Visual Display of Quantitative Information

Keep it Simple

© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.