TECHNICAL WRITING November 26, 2013. Today Effective visuals

TECHNICAL WRITINGNovember 26 , 2013

Today• Effective visuals.

Effective visuals• We have talked about format:

• Again

• And again

• And again…

This class is just a reminder to always maintain a clear, easy-to-follow layout for your documents.

Effective designIf a document looks like this:

- The readers will think that this work is too complex and they won’t read it.

- A visually appealing document helps your company’s reputation and your own.

3 Rules to Effective Design1.Keep it simple.

- Don’t try to impress your reader with visual effects.

2.Make it clear. -Include heads, bulleted lists, numbered steps, etc. to make your message easy to understand.

3.Have it flow. - Help your readers get through and understand your document easily.

A Few Tips

Don’t be afraid of white space.

- Double-spacing between paragraphs.

- Spacing between headings and paragraphs.

- Providing adequate space around visuals.

A Few Tips

Don’t be afraid of white space. - Double-spacing between paragraphs. - Spacing between headings and paragraphs. - Providing adequate space around visuals.

A Few Tips

Change font size for certain functions.

Title (22 point)

Headings (14 point)

Content/paragraphs (12 point)

Footnotes/endnotes (8 point)

A Few Tips

Headings and subheadings: parallel.

A Few TipsColor.

Color in documents can be used for:

- Borders

- Headings

- Keywords

- Internet addresses

- Graphic accents (backgrounds or graphics)

- Info boxes

A Few Tips

Color

IF you use color:

- Make sure colors contrast with the background.

- No more than 2 - 3 colors on a page.

- Use “cool” colors.

Crime rate statistics for 2013 are provided below (Table 4).

____________is/are summarized in Table 2.

Visuals- Pictures, diagrams, figures (tables and charts)

IMPORTANT:

Visuals work in conjunction with your writing to inform, illustrate, and persuade.

VisualsReasons to use visuals:

1.Visuals arouse readers’ immediate interest.

2.Visuals increase readers’ understanding by simplifying concepts.

3.Visuals are especially important for non-native speakers of English

and multicultural audiences.

4.Visuals emphasize key relationships.

5.Visuals condense and summarize a large quantity of information into

a relatively small space.

6.Visuals are highly persuasive.

VisualsThe most important function of visuals is to help the reader understand your work.

Choosing Effective Visuals1. Include visuals only when they are relevant for your purpose and audience.

- Visuals are not decorations.

i.e., a report workplace safety does not need a picture of a doctor.

Choosing Effective Visuals2. Use visuals in conjunction with – not as a substitute for – written work.

- Visuals are not substitutes for words.

- You may need to explain the info in visuals.

Choosing Effective Visuals3. Experiment with several visuals

- Use the visual that best represents your information.

or

Choosing Effective Visuals4. Always use easy-to-read and relevant visuals- If the reader can’t understand the visual, it’s useless.

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Series1Series2Series3Series4Series5

Choosing Effective Visuals5. Consider how your visuals will look on the page.

- Make sure it fits the page.- Make sure it’s readable.

Choosing Effective Visuals6. Be prepared to revise and edit your visuals.

- May have to change size, labels, colors, etc.

Inserting Visuals into Documents1. Insert your visuals appropriately.

- Never insert a visual before a discussion of it.

- (Try to) place visuals close to where they are mentioned.

- Size visuals appropriately.

Inserting Visuals into Documents2. Always mention in the text that you are including a visual.

- Tell the readers where it can be found and refer to it.

Inserting Visuals into Documents2. Always mention in the text that you are including a visual.

i.e., “the figure below (Figure 2) illustrates the Q1 profits of 2007.”

or, “Figure 2 (below) illustrates the Q1 profits of 2007.”

“the figure (Figure 1) on the following page shows recent consumer trends.”

“the diagram to the right (Figure 3) demonstrates the part of a 6-cylinder

engine.”

“Table 1, on the bottom of page 3, summarizes the costs associated with the

change”

Referring to Tables/Figures in text- As shown in Table 1, crime statistics for 2012 are down across the board..

- As the table below (Table 2) shows, we are experiencing higher-than-usual revenues this quarter.

- According to Figure 2, revenues are up 10% this quarter

- The following table (Table 32) shows/depicts/demonstrates/indicates

- Based on (information in ) Table 1, (mention an analysis or inference)- Based on the information in Table 1, we can expect revenues to continue rising into the next quarter.

- As indicated in Figure 2, there is a strong correlation between release of new products and revenues.

- More information (details) is available in Table 2 -

For more information, see/refer to Table 657

- Crime rates are down in all categories in Q2 of this year (see Table 2)

- Crime rate

Inserting Visuals into Documents3. Center the visual.

- If necessary, also “box” the visual.

Inserting Visuals into Documents4. Never collect all visuals and put them in an appendix.

Appendix = section after the main document.

- Visuals are meant to help here and now.

- If reader has to go to the appendix to look at the visual, he/she will get frustrated.

VisualsTwo types:

Tables: arrange information – numbers and/or words – in parallel columns or rows for easy comparison of data.

Figures: include graphs, circle charts, bar charts, organizational chars, flow charts, pictographs, maps, photographs, and drawings.