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©2007 by the McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Creativity and Visual Design

©2007 by the McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

McGraw­Hill/Irwin

Designing Messages with Visuals

• What Is Visual Design?

 Visual design

◦

the process of generating and structuring messages using drawings, photos, and other graphics

 Visual channels

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include all visual imagery—such as drawings, photos, and graphics—that can be incorporated into a business message

 Visual elements

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include lines, shapes, colors, and text

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Designing Messages with Visuals

• How Do I Choose Visual Channels?

 Pie chart  Bar or line chart  Map  Line chart  Photograph  Bar chart  Table  Gantt chart

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Basic Design Principles

• Designing with a Grid Approach

 Grid approach

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organizes the placement of visual elements on a page or within a graphic design frame

Basic Design Principles

FIGURE 17.1 The Grid Approach as Applied to Page 416.

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Basic Design Principles

• Designing with a Grid Approach (continued)

 Contrast

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varied level of difference and emphasis among visual symbols, shapes, colors, or tones

 Balance

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symmetry, or an equal distribution of weight within the frame of the design

 Rhythm

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refers to the positioning of elements that allows the viewer’s eyes to gaze at certain aspects of the design before others

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Basic Design Principles

FIGURE 17.2 Symmetry Example

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Basic Design Principles

• Designing with a Grid Approach (continued)

 Unity ◦

 Proportion

choosing visual elements that belong together and are similar, are in close proximity, or are pointed in the same direction

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◦ the relative size of an element based on importance

Basic Design Principles

• Using Color

 Hue ◦

refers to the individual colors of the white light spectrum and to the differences between shades

 Saturation

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involves the concentration of color purity and richness

 Brightness

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associated with the degree of intensity and brilliance of a color as it reflects the light

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Basic Design Principles

• Using Shapes

 Shape

 Icons

◦ any form or design with height and width

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abstract shapes created to look like the object they represent

Infographics

• Quantitative

 Quantitative infographics

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 Plot area

visual designs that present numerical or statistical information in a condensed visual format

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refers to a portion of a grid designated by two axes: the horizontal (X) axis and the vertical (Y) axis

Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

 Titles ◦

 Labels

used at the top of the chart or graph and on both axes to identify the comparison or measurement and to identify the chart categories

◦ words or figures that accompany the chart

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categories to identify the items along the chart or graph axes

Infographics

FIGURE 17.3 Quantitative Infographics Grid

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Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

1.  Tables

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square or rectangular in design and are used to present specific figures or narrative data

Infographics

FIGURE 17.4 Sample Table

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Infographics

Quantitative infographics such as line charts and bar graphs help viewers understand information that describes comparisons, trends, and relationships over time.

© Firefly Productions/CORBIS

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Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

2. Line and area charts

◦

shows trends, increases or decreases in quantities or events over time, and comparisons and relationships among numbers

 Line chart

◦ more dramatic version of a line chart because the area

under the line is shaded to the baseline below

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 Area chart

Infographics

FIGURE 17.5 Line and Area Charts

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Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

3.  Pie charts

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circular in design and demonstrate the relationship or distribution of parts, or slices (items), to the whole

Infographics

FIGURE 17.6 Pie Charts

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Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

4.  Bar graphs

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present shaded rectangles (bars) side by side for visual comparison

Infographics

FIGURE 17.7 Bar Graph

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Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

5.  Pictograms

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use graphic symbols to represent items for measurement or comparison

Infographics

FIGURE 17.8 Pictogram

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Infographics

• Quantitative (continued)

6.  Gantt chart

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use bars on a grid, but Gantt chart bars exclusively represent scheduled lengths of time (days, months, or years) for the performance of activities on a particular project

Infographics

FIGURE 17.9 Gantt Chart

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Infographics

• Qualitative

 Qualitative infographics

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include narrative or conceptual information presented using appealing visual formats

Infographics

• Qualitative (continued)

1.  Flow Charts

 Organizational chart

◦ use boxes with arrows or lines to connect them

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 Pert chart

depicts the chain of company command from top to bottom

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refers to a type of flow chart that outlines a process

Infographics

FIGURE 17.10 Flow Chart

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Infographics

• Qualitative (continued)

2.  Maps

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used to present geographic locations, proximity, or distance

Infographics

FIGURE 17.11 Sample Map

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Infographics

• Qualitative (continued)

3. Photographs

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process of capturing permanent images on film for eventual processing and printing onto special paper

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 Photography

Infographics

• Qualitative (continued)

4. Drawings and diagrams

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handproduced lines using ink, pen, or pencil to represent images on paper

 Drawings

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type of drawing used for visual description that explain how a process, procedure, or product works or is used

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 Diagrams

Developing Visuals

 Templates

◦ predesigned models or sample layouts of

business memos, résumés, reports, and letters

 Desktop publishing programs

 Presentation programs

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Integrating Visuals

• Size, Visibility, and Placement

 Runaround

• Numbers, Labels, and Titles

• Give Credit Where It’s Due

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◦ refers to text that wraps around a visual image

Questions

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