1. Visual Elements
English 202C

2. Purposes for visual displays
To set off or emphasize information
To make complex information more accessible
To make the abstract more concrete
To make the concrete universal
To symbolize structure or organization
To condense large amounts of data
To show relationships among data
To compare and contrast data
To show what something looks like
To show what percentages or proportions are assigned to the parts of a whole
To demonstrate how to do something
To illustrate how something is organized or assembled

3. Audiences for visual displays
Experience (with subject and type of display)
Technical understanding
Language and culture

4. Types of displays - Tables
Give a large amount of data in less space
Show characteristics of objects, ideas, or processes
Help item-by-item comparison
Display exact numeric values

5. Guidelines for Tables Select standard units of measurement
Align the numbers along the decimal point or along the units column
Align prose along the left-hand margin or center within the column
Convert fractions to decimal points
Use parallel grammatical forms for words
Use rules and spaces to help cluster information
Place the source of the table below the table

6. Table

7. Graphs
Show the relationships, trends, and patterns in two or more sets of data
Support forecasts and predictions
Help the audience interpolate or extrapolate
Present complex information symbolically
Interest the audience in the data or add credibility to words

8. General guidelines for graphs
Center the title for the graph at the top
Make axis lines heavier than grid lines, but not as heavy as curves/trend lines
Start at zero or retain the zero baseline
Avoid using two amount scales, if possible
Label each access and indicate the unit of measurement
Label grid rulings at standard intervals
Use a legend to explain distinctions of tone, color, or symbols

9. Guidelines for bar graphs
Make the bars the same width and label each bar
Make the space between bars one-half the bar width
Make the vertical or Y scale at least 75% as long as the horizontal scale
Make the longest bar extend nearly to the top of the graph
Consider using exact numbers to indicate values
Consider using a legend or key to distinguish between bar colors or patterns
Use color consistently to distinguish between types of information on the graph

10. Bar graph
How effective is this graph according to the points listed on the previous slide?
How might it mislead the reader?
bar%20graph.jpg

11. Guidelines for line graphs
Place the dependent variable on the Y axis
Place the independent variable on the X axis
Keep vertical and horizontal axes proportionate
Make the sure the slope of the line accurately depicts the trend indicated by the data
Mark individual data points on each line using nodes
Place no more than three or four lines on each graph
Use colors or symbols to distinguish between lines
Label each line or use a legend to avoid clutter

12. Guidelines for pie charts
Start the pie graph with the largest wedge at the 12 o’clock position
Make sure the wedges add up to 100% with each 3.6º segment equaling 1%
Keep wedges at least 5% or 18º
Limit the graph to 8 wedges
Combine small segments under “other”
Separate only 1 wedge for emphasis, if any
Place labels horizontally outside the pie. Avoid lines or arrows.
Indicate exact percentages in the labels
Avoid three-dimensional pies, which can distort information

13. Pie Chart
How effective is this graph according to the points listed on the previous slide?
How might it mislead the reader?
“The approximately 130 industrial affiliates and partners at the NSF Supercomputer Centers fall into the broad groups shown above.” - section.4.2.html

14. Other types: Area graph
How effective is this type of graph? How might it mislead the reader? What features would make it easier to understand?
trdweb/ane.html

15. Other types: Bar/pictograph?
Figure 1. What Do We Pay for in a Gallon of Regular Grade Gasoline?
How effective is this type of graph? How might it mislead the reader? What features would make it easier to understand?
Source: Energy Information Administration
html/petbro.html

16. Types of display - Charts
Show the components, chronology, or steps of a whole organization, process, mechanism, or organism
Display the interrelationships between the components, stages, or steps

17. Guidelines for charts Label components, steps, and subdivisions
Use types of blocks (rectangles, circles, etc.) consistently
Use meaningful labels within blocks
Use arrows or lines to show relationships
Avoid excess “chart junk”—too many colors, lines, fonts, etc.

18. Flowchart
flowchart.html

19. Types of display – Photographs
Show the actual appearance of an object or organism
Add realism of detail, tone, texture, and color to a display or discussion
Display features of objects or organisms difficult to draw
Prove something is real or exists

20. Guidelines for photographs
Avoid too much detail in the photograph
Be sure the background is not distracting
Consider adding callouts or arrows to highlight key features
Consider adding a caption to help readers understand what they are seeing
Consider adding a familiar object to help people gauge the size/dimensions

21. Photograph
A glazing waterfall resevoir in the Krispy Kreme production line.
howstuffworks.lycoszone.com/ krispy-kreme4.htm

22. Types of display – Drawings and Diagrams
Show the actual appearance of an object or organism, excluding unnecessary detail
Show the physical components of mechanisms, objects, or organisms
Show generic or nonspecific objects or organisms
Display objects that might have existed in the past or might in the future
Show views that would be impossible to see otherwise

23. Guidelines for drawings and diagrams
Select the amount of detail your audience will find useful and manageable
Label clearly all parts, steps, or stages
Select symbols that are familiar to your audience
Give dimensions, orientation, and point of view information about your object
If useful, show how parts relate or are connected or attached to the whole and to each other

24. Cutaway drawings Used to show cross-sectional structures
Often used for experienced or technical audiences, depending on context
cutaway.htm

25. Exploded view diagrams
Show construction of an object
Best for experienced or technical audiences
button.html

26. Schematic or symbolic diagrams
Best for technical or experienced audiences
Requires an understanding of abstract symbols
march00/c0300r34.htm

27. Types of display - Maps
Offer geographical information on data and objects
Show locations in relationship to each other
Show distribution of objects over a particular location
Prepare the audience for travel

28. Map
“This is a topographical map of the mound at Tel Rehov. The yellow gridlines are spaced at 50-meter intervals, and each elevation line indicates an increase in elevation of one meter.”

29. Cross-cultural visuals
Be careful not to use images or icons that may not translate well into other languages or cultures