1. Graphics – Part1

2. Why use graphics u Different learning styles u Many things are hard to explain in text u Provides interest u Relationships are visual

3. Use relevant graphics u Graphic draws the eye First thing the reader will see on a page u Choose graphics that support and expand upon the text u Give the graphics the same look & feel u Use graphics appropriate to the audience

4. How relevant u Questions to ask is: –What does the graphic add? –Why bother? –How does this enhance the material? u Large, but not relevant graphics are distracting. The reader tries to make sense of it.

5. Same look & feel u Give the graphics the same look & feel

6. All images are similar

7. Inserting graphics into text u Place after first text reference u Always use a caption Figure captions go below Table captions go above u Don’t leave excess white space either before or within the graphic u Minimize use of boxes or lines around the graphic

8. Placement on the page u Graphic draws the eye First thing the reader will see on a page u A graphic is placed too low on the page, it pulls the eye to it and causes skipping of the material above it. u Photographs of people are always the first thing noticed. If you have one, it must contribute to the communication.

9. Graphic numbering u Figures and tables are numbered separately (If it’s not a table, then it’s a figure) u Start both at 1 and continue to end of document u Folio numbering (1.3, 4.2) are only used when the document contains chapters

10. White space around graphic

11. Figures fit within the margins

12. What is perception difference?

13. Use of graphs

14. Avoid 3D graphs

15. 2D versus 3D

16. Bar versus line graphs u Bar Discrete data u Line Continuous data u Not interchangeable u Not what looks best to you

17. Avoid overly large simple graphs

18. Use true scales (start at zero)

19. Time scales left to right

20. Use entire graph

21. Have scale make sense 4-7 2-9 4-7 3-8

22. Data with ranges What if this was data from a customer satisfaction survey from each of your 52 stores. Overall customer satisfaction has not changed much (although the left hand graph uses poor scaling to make it seem it has. But the ranges between stores is much greater than the change in the average. Business decisions often need to focus on how to tighten up that range.

23. Same info. Different scale. Are they the same?

24. Putting graphs side by side Sales Revenue in US from 1981-1992 Sales Revenue Outside US from 1981-1992

25. Text and graph support each other u During the past four years the number of pages produced monthly by each writer has increased. In 1991, we produced 40 pages per month, in 1992 the production was 44 pages, in 1993 it was 55 pages, in 1994 it jumped to 58 pages, and in 1995 production was 60 pages per month. Figure 1 shows this change. u Text just repeats the graph

26. Text and graph support each other u Figure 1 reveals a steady increase in page production. During the past four years the number of pages produced monthly by each writer has continued to increase at a rate of about 2 pages per year. Growing from 40 pages per month in 1991 to 60 pages per month in 1995. The jump between 1992 and 1993 occurred when we switched to Frame. u Text interprets the graph

27. Color

28. Color in graphics u Web has lots of colored figures, but most technical documents are produced in black and white. u Loss of color can create a gray blob. u Convert the graphic to BW with a image program, do not let the copier do it.

29. Gray scale u 9 steps of gray u Eye is best at lighter shades of gray u False color is really gray scale –Grays are converted to color –Easier for eye to see/compare colors

30. Color and BW graphic

31. Changing images to grayscale

32. Color in printing u Each color requires a separate printing step u 2 colors doubles the cost u Full color –Uses 4 inks –Most expensive printing process u Crisp color requires coated paper (more $$$)

33. Color touching color u Eye is very good at comparing two colors when they are close u Very poor at subtle differences when it cannot see the them or they are separated u Touching colors can be almost the same u The more separation, the more contrast the color needs to be distinguished u If not seen at same time, use different colors

34. Color contrast illusion u Horizontal rows are the same color

35. Color blindness u About 10% of male audience is colorblind u Must watch the color choices, especially on graphs Normal Red-greenBlue-yellow

36. Line drawing vs. photos

37. Line drawing or photo u Line drawing –Emphasis on specific parts –Can remove extra material –Some things are too big to photograph u Photo –Gives better overall image –Contains lots of extra material

38. Power window switch

39. FedEx sort facility

40. Line drawings

41. Ethernet card images u Note how shading helps in the drawing

42. Bitmapped graphics u Word uses graphics that are bitmapped. You can reduce, but not enlarge them without losing clarity. u Bitmapped means they are made of lots of little pixels, with each pixel being one color.

43. Enlarged bitmapped graphic

44. Resizing u Programs can resize proportionally or not. Means both dimensions change equally. u In essentially all Windows-based programs, use the corner handle bars. u Shift-corner handle bars should cause a proportional resize

45. Resize example

46. End