Chapter 7Visual Rhetoric andUsing Visuals
Visuals Pictorial representations other than written text (words) used to convey meaning and information to an audience
Graphics • Visuals that appear to be “rendered” or “drawn,” such as charts, tables, maps, graphs, and diagrams
Images • Photographic or “real” visuals, such as photographs, screen captures, or even moving images like video clips or animations
Deciding when to use visuals, which ones, and where to place them is an important part of rhetorical thinking
bigfoto.com Visual Rhetoric • Refers to the way visuals communicate meaning to readers
Visuals • Increase comprehension • Clarify difficult or abstract information • Provide examples of written descriptions • Illustrate processes • Depict relationships between information • Emphasize important information
Visuals • Highlight key points • Gain attention of the audience • Establish authority • Reach a broader audience • Improve organization • Simplify information retention
bigfoto.com Types of Visuals
Graphics
Icons • Derives from the Greek word eikon, which literally means “image” • Are visual metaphors because they denote more than what is literally present
Workplace Icons • Represent brands, or logos • Represent emotions • Alert or emphasize
Guidelines for Making Icons • Understand what you need the icon to represent • Understand the words or words it stands for • Develop a list of all of the terms that need to be represented in a single icon • Sketch ideas for the icon • Make the icon in a graphics program
Graphs • Are diagrams that represent the relationships between at least two kinds of quantifiable information • Depict information along two axes: each axis represents one component of information • Are generally three types: bar graphs, line graphs, and pictographs
Bar Graphs • Are also known as histograms • Depict comparisons between similar kinds of information • Emphasize quantity • Are used with numeric information
Line Graphs • Are also known as frequency polygons • Depict information over a period of time • May represent multiple pieces of similar data to compare changes in multiple situations
Pictographs • Use pictures or icons to represent numeric information • Are usually easy to read and function much like bar graphs • Are most often used in documents that address general readers
Charts • Represent information visually • Make it easier for readers to understand data and relationships between various data • Are generally three types: pie charts, flow charts, and organizational charts
Pie Charts • Are circular charts that represent divisions within a whole • Represent percentages by dividing into representative sections
Flow Charts • Depict a process or a procedure • Can be useful for solving problems • Have developed as problem solving tools
Four Primary Flow Charts • Top-down flow charts start at the top and present the primary steps of the process drawn vertically • Work flow diagrams illustrate the flow of work • Deployment flow charts show not only how a process flows, but identify who is responsible for each part of that process • Detailed Flow Charts depict all the steps and sequences in a process, including the relationships between various internal stages of the process
Organizational Charts • Show the administrative, managerial, and staff structures of organizations • Display relationships between each level and identify paths of responsibility and authority
Line Drawings • Are simple drawings used to represent objects • Are useful in documents like instruction manuals because they show specific parts or steps within a larger process
bigfoto.com Images
Photographs • Can be effective in manuals and instructions by showing the exact objects used in a process • Can be useful in accident and field reports because they depict a scene as the viewer sees it
Screen Shots freeimages.co.uk • Are useful when describing a computer process or showing software features or applications
Video & Animation • Provide a good method for showing readers/viewers exact processes • Convey information quickly • Add eye-catching and professional touches to web pages and e-manuals
Find Visuals • In databases, usually for a fee • With Web searches, usually with permission • Using clip art, from previously printed materials • By making your own images and graphics with software, like draw, spreadsheets, word processors, and image manipulators
Use Color • To highlight or draw attention • To demarcate textual divisions • To identify a particular part of a document or kind of text • To clarify organization and relationships between textual elements • To improve the aesthetic and professional quality of your document
Using Visuals • Make visuals relevant to the document • Make visuals as clear as possible • Keep your visuals as simple as possible • Use familiar visuals for wider appeal • Sequence visuals from top to bottom • Strive for moderation
Using Visuals • Informal documents include a list of visuals and caption • List All numbered visuals in a “Table of Figures” or “Table of Illustrations” • Use call outs — textual highlights provided in a visual to clarify or highlight information — when necessary
