Deck 12: Designing Visual Communication

Question 1

Making arbitrary changes in the color, size, or shape of your visual aids may

A) stimulate the flagging interest of your audience.
B) be difficult to do without sophisticated software or the help of a graphic designer.
C) confuse your audience.
D) unnecessarily lengthen your report/presentation.

Answer 1

confuse your audience.

Question 2

A good situation for using photographs would be

A) in repair manuals, to show the steps in making repairs.
B) to show how equipment operates.
C) to show the exact appearance of a new product.
D) to illustrate processes and procedures in sequence.

Answer 2

to show the exact appearance of a new product.

Question 3

Which of the following is the most specialized visual commonly used in business documents?

A) tables.
B) line charts.
C) animations.
D) maps.

Answer 3

animations.

Question 4

When creating digital photos, it is important to consider "dpi," which stands for

A) digital photo imaging.
B) downloadable photo import.
C) dots per inch.
D) none of the above.

Question 5

Producing visual aids with a computer graphics system is

A) no substitute for the training and experience of a professional designer.
B) a surefire way to ensure that your visuals are effective.
C) not advisable unless you have access to extremely expensive computer equipment.
D) not likely to result in professional-looking materials.

Question 6

A reference to a visual aid should

A) come directly after the piece itself appears.
B) precede the piece itself.
C) come fairly close to the appearance of the piece.
D) include copyright information.

Question 7

Emphasizing background features (such as the grid lines on a chart) is helpful to your
audience.

Question 8

Tables should always be presented on a separate page, rather than being included
within the text of a report.

Question 9

The deviation bar chart is a special type of bar chart that identifies both positive and
negative values, such as winners and losers.

Question 10

Because computer software generates charts from data tables, you need to think
ahead about how the chart will look when deciding on the order of data for the table.

Question 11

Compared to bar charts, pictograms are generally easier to read.

Question 12

_______________ charts are especially effective for showing the composition of a
whole.

Question 13

List at least five types of visual aids commonly used to present data in business documents.

Question 14

Briefly explain whether it is a good idea to bunch visuals at the end of a section or at the end of a document.

Question 15

Explain the difference between the title and the caption of a visual aid.

Question 16

Pie charts are common in various types of business documents. Briefly describe at least five strategies for creating effective pie charts.