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> graphics viz | just under 842 words | updated 12/25/2017
For data- or information-intensive visualizations such as charts and infographics, see
notes on data visualization.
(Note that many of the sources below are from the domain of instructional design and pertain to the visual and/or informational design of learning objects.)
Per Booth (2014, p. 127): "Richard Mayer lists seven such strategies that make more efficient use of cognitive processing capacity in instructional interfaces, materials, and graphics:
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Concentrated:
Core ideas are emphasized via highlighting, bolding, and other strategies.
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Concise:
Brevity and simplicity are achieved by eliminating extraneous text and images.
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Correspondent:
Pictures, charts, and tables and their captions are placed close to one another.
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Concrete:
Images provide clear visualizations of the subjects in question.
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Coherent:
Picture choices are logical and correspond with narration, captions, or surrounding text.
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Comprehensible:
Graphics and text or narration reflect the prior knowledge of the viewer.
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Codable:
Graphics and text or narration lend themselves to being integrated into memory."
Booth (2011) summarizes Linda Lohr's approach to visual design for instructional purposes:
Principles
are the broad "cognitive functions" that comprise someone's interaction with a visual instructional object:
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Selection
(filtering what's important): guided by the Gestalt
figure/ground
principle (people can't pay attention to everything, so know what you want to emphasize and then make the emphasis obvious)
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Organization
(parsing the 'figure;): supported by "clear and consistent navigational elements, chunking information into content units that reflect instructional objectives, providing scaffolding in the form of assistance and support, and incorporating hierarchical elements such as lists, charts, and outlines that suggest relationships"
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Integration
(situating the figure)
Actions:
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Contrast
to emphasize dissimilarity and create interest
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Proximity
to convey relatedness
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Repetition
to reduce cognitive burden and emphasize structure (pathways)
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Alignment
to maximize readability and reduce visual noise
Adjust mood, readability, accessibility, etc. with
tools:
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Font & typeface
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Color
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Shapes
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Depth/details/realism
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Whitespace
Per Reynolds (2009):
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Figure/ground
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Continuation
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Closure
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Implied space (cropping)
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Implied depth (scale)
Culled from Duarte ('D', 2008) and Reynolds ('R', 2009):
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Slides should complement the narrative,
not duplicate it ("dual channels")
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One point per slide (R)
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Aim for high signal-to-noise ratio (R)
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Favor images over text; more engaging, more memorable; "picture superiority effect" (R)
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Relevant
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Not cliché
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... but QUOTES are also great for sparking interest and enhancing credibility
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Pay attn to size, placement, resolution, aspect
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Use full-slide ("full bleed") images (R)
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Try for "asymmetric balance" rather than symmetry (R)
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330 ppi resolution for high-quality print images; 100 ppi for screen (R)
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Use enough white space
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Make sure text is readable
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Place text on semi-transparent solid background when it overlaps an image (R)
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Try embedded videos
Per Reynolds (2009):
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JPEG
is good for photos on the web, but lossy when compressed
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GIF
is good for drawings (only 256 colors)
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PNG
lets you adjust transparency
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EPS
is for vectors
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TIFF
is high res, good for print
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For people:
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Avoid direct sunlight (generally creates unflattering shadows)
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Focus on eyes
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Place head in upper third of frame, slightly off-center
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Tripod stablizes and creates better photos in low-light conditions
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Use the White Balance feature in response to light conditions
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Explore different vantage points
Booth summarizes Mayer again (2014, p. 130):
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"Coherence:
Extraneous words, sounds, and pictures are minimized.
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Modality:
Narration occurs as speech rather than printed text in multimedia presentations.
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Personalization:
Narration occurs in conversational rather than formal style.
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Pretraining:
The learner knows the names and characteristics of the key concepts.
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Redundancy:
Animation and narration are preferable in multimedia presentations over animation, narration, and on-screen text (to reduce cognitive overload).
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Segmenting:
A fast-paced, complex multimedia lesson is presented in user-paced segments rather than as a continuous presentation.
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Signaling:
The essential material is highlighted. Spatial contiguity : Corresponding words and pictures are presented in proximity to one another on a page or screen.
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Temporal contiguity:
Corresponding words and pictures are presented simultaneously rather than successively in time.
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Voice:
Narration occurs in a friendly human voice rather than a machine voice."
Booth, C. (2014).
Reflective teaching, effective learning: Instructional literacy for library educators.
Chicago, IL: American Library Association Editions.
Duarte, N. (2008).
slide:ology: The art and science of creating great presentations.
Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Press.
Reynolds, G. (2009).
Presentation Zen design: Simple design principles and techniques to enhance your presentations.
San Francisco, CA: New Riders.