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Chapter 7 Visual Rhetoric and Using 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. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Chapter 7Visual Rhetoric and
Using Visuals
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Pictorial representations other than written text (words) used to convey meaning and information to an audience
Visuals
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Graphics
‣ Visuals that appear to be “rendered” or “drawn,” such as charts, tables, maps, graphs, and diagrams
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Images
‣ Photographic or “real” visuals, such as photographs, screen captures, or even moving images like video clips or animations
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Deciding when to use visuals, which ones, and where to place them is an important part of rhetorical thinking
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Visual RhetoricRefers to the way visuals communicate meaning to readers
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Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Visuals‣ Increase comprehension
‣ Clarify difficult or abstract information
‣ Provide examples of written descriptions
‣ Illustrate processes
‣ Depict relationships between information
‣ Emphasize important information
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ Highlight key points
‣ Gain attention of the audience
‣ Establish authority
‣ Reach a broader audience
‣ Improve organization
‣ Simplify information retention
Visuals
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Types of Visuals
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Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Graphics
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Icons‣ Derives from the
Greek word eikon, which literally means “image”
‣ Are visual metaphors because they denote more than what is literally present
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Workplace Icons‣ Represent brands, or
logos
‣ Represent emotions
‣ Alert or emphasize
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Bar Graphs‣ Are also known as
histograms
‣ Depict comparisons between similar kinds of information
‣ Emphasize quantity
‣ Are used with numeric information
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Pie Charts
‣ Are circular charts that represent divisions within a whole
‣ Represent percentages by dividing into representative sections
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Flow Charts
‣ Depict a process or a procedure
‣ Can be useful for solving problems
‣ Have developed as problem solving tools
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Organizational Charts‣ Show the
administrative, managerial, and staff structures of organizations
‣ Display relationships between each level and identify paths of responsibility and authority
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Images
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Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Screen ShotsAre useful when describing a computer process or showing software features or applications
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Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
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
Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458. All Rights Reserved.
‣ 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
Using Visuals
