6.5 Graphic Illustrations and The Infographic
Learning Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to
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- differentiate between various types of graphic illustrations
- understand the importance of visual aids
- understand how to create an infographic illustration
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Introduction
An element of business documents is the inclusion of graphic illustrations. Graphic illustrations show your interpretation of numerical information and visually present that information and the connections found through your interpretation. Graphics can help keep your reader engaged and provide information in a new way that is easier to understand. There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes, despite writing clearly and concisely, your audience will appreciate the presence of supporting graphics–whether that be tables, illustrations, maps, photos, charts, or some other type of graphic illustration. Graphic illustrations
- increases the impact of numerical information
- communicates information in a concise and convincing way
- clarify and simplify complex and dense information
- breaks up long blocks of information into easier to understand segments
Good graphic illustrations serve many purposes. Well-designed graphics will help to communicate your message more effectively than words alone; therefore, graphics can help reduce miscommunication. Graphic illustrations in long and complex documents, like a report or proposal, ensures your message will be more readily understood by a wide and diverse audience. This unit explores the different types of illustrations, their basic format requirements, and a special look at infographics is presented.
Types of Graphic Illustrations
There are numerous kinds of visual aids, including tables, pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, flow charts, line graphs, organizational charts, illustrations, and infographics. Each type of visual aid best depicts a specific type of information. Knowing which visual aid best presents your raw data is important in creating effective visuals that communicate clear and accurate information. Let’s begin our discussion by viewing the video below for an overview of when to use different types of graphic illustrations.
Tables
Tables are particularly good for showing exact figures and large amounts of information in rows and columns. Tables provide a large amount of data in a very compact but detailed manner and are helpful at attracting readers to specific data and at making comparisons between them. A few hints to create effective tables:
- The table should fit on a singular page. If the landscape page orientation is too small, then change the page layout to portrait.
- Label all parts of the table clearly and identify units in which figures are given.
- For long tables with many rows, shade alternative rows or increase the height of the cells.
- Use the acronym (n/a) or a row of dots/dashes to acknowledge missing data.
Pie Charts
A pie chart is a circular repres