Effective visual communication - Research Paper Example

Effective Visual Communication When attempting to convey a complex thought or idea, sometimes thebest method is to employ the science of visual communication to the process. Effective visual communication depends upon a wide variety of elements that can be used while discussing an idea or process in a way that makes this idea stand out, become clearer in the minds of the reader or viewer and thus deliver a more concise, concrete meaning. While going through the process of creating a power point presentation to explain the complicated proper procedures to use to successfully execute intravenous fluid therapy on a patient, I used a number of well-recognized forms of visual communication to convey my ideas. These included information graphics, signs and symbols, shapes and colors, images and groups of images, charts and graphs, typography and cartoons and illustrations. As I went through this process, I realized the degree to which these concepts tend to blend and interact. However, by reflecting upon the forms of visual communication used in the finished presentation, these concepts became clearer. Information graphics is a relatively general term that refers to a kind of graphic image that is intended to convey complex information in a simple way. According to Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes (2004), this can include charts, diagrams, graphs, tables, maps or lists. Thus, the information graphic can contain within it all of the other recognized forms of visual communication – symbols and signs, shapes and colors, images and groups of images, charts and graphs, typography and cartoons and illustrations as long as these are used as a means of communicating a unified meaning. An example of information graphics use in my presentation can be found on the fifth slide of my power point. This graphic provides a simple illustration of a human arm and shoulder area. The unified meaning of this illustrated graphic is to explain the placement of the arteries of the arm. This is made clear by the all-capital-lettered title placed slightly to one side of the image and the fact that the details of the image include enough shape to define it as a human arm and enough inner detail to define the bones and arteries but nothing else. The names of these arteries are printed in a simple sans-serif font so that they will be easily read even from a far distance and they are related to the appropriate shape within the image by the common sign of a line connecting text to graphic. Color, or more accurately shade, is used to make it easier to distinguish between different features with a solid thin line marking the outline of the arm and upper body, bone area filled with small, sparsely-spaced dots which is a field-recognized symbol of bone matter, and shaded areas to designate the arteries being discussed. By allowing them to be the darkest area on the image, these arteries pop out as being the most important information in the graphic with the black text taking a close second. Understanding that the information graphic is a unique combination of all of the other elements, each of which conveys its own sense of meaning, makes me realize that a greater understanding of how each element communicates can contribute to a much more effective presentation. The first element to be considered in the creation of information graphics is the use of symbols and signs. These may seem to be the same thing and, indeed, are very closely related, but the idea behind them is different. Using the Star of Life from my title page as an example will make these differences easier to explain. The Star of Life is a commonly accepted symbol of Emergency Medical Services. Although my symbol has been stylized away from its traditional blue and white colors, you can still tell that it is the image of a snake coiled around a vertical staff, all of which is contained within a six-pointed star. Many people in the world today would see this image and immediately know that they were in the presence of someone or something capable of rendering emergency medical services or belonging to the emergency medical services department. This transfer of meaning from seeing the image to knowing medical services are nearby is what is called the sign – the image immediately communicates to the individual the idea of medicine. However, this idea is not necessarily true as the image may be seen on the side of a van parked in a parking lot after all the medical workers have gone home, thus no medical services available, or it might be on the title page of a presentation about medical services, but no actual services are provided. The image is an indication that something is so, but not a guarantee. At the same time, this image is a symbol used to designate the EMS. A symbol is a visual representation of something else. As a symbol, the Star of Life has many layers of meaning. The Rod of Asclepius, the snake entwined around the staff image, is an historic symbol of medicine dating back to at least the ancient Greeks. There are a range of meanings behind this symbol alone, but it is not necessary to go into all the details at this point. The six-pointed star refers to the six main activities rescue workers are engaged in during the course of their work – detection, reporting, response, on scene care, care in transit and transfer to definitive care (Zatz, 1992). Thus, the sign refers to the indication of greater meaning while the symbol stands for something else. Shapes and colors also play an important role in information graphics. Colors are very important because they can strongly affect the way we feel. The use of cool or warm colors can establish a mood. “Cool colors tend to have a calming effect. At one end of the spectrum they are cold, impersonal, antiseptic colors. At the other end the cool colors are comforting and nurturing. Warm colors convey emotions from simple optimism to strong violence. The warmth of red, yellow, pink or orange can create excitement or even anger” (Bear, 2006). Cool colors refer to blues and purples while warmer colors are the reds and oranges. Shapes can also have an effect on how we feel about things. In general, the smooth curves of circles tend to make us feel comforted or active and are usually associated more with the feminine. Squares are seen as business-like and masculine and triangles, particularly when the point is pointing upward, are considered the most stable unit. These concepts apply to lines as well, with diagonal lines representing the most energetic shape. In preparing my presentation, I didn’t give a lot of thought to color, but I knew I wanted the presentation to be very straight-forward and businesslike. This was why I chose the gray and white background that I used for my slides with diagonal shading appearing in streaks coming from the upper left to the lower right. This diagonal focus gives energy to the presentation while the grey color-tone gives it seriousness and the neutral yellow of the titles insert a hint of caution and attention to the overall scheme. The term image can be used to refer to a number of ways of visually representing something, but for the purposes of this discussion, I’m going to use the word to refer to photographic illustration. In other words, ‘image’ refers to something that exists in the real world and is shown through the graphic reproduction of it in photographic format. I used two images of this sort in my presentation, both to highlight the appropriate positioning of key elements of the IV insertion. Both of these images are horizontally aligned, meaning they are wider than they are tall, and both provide a sense of stability and calm within the presentation. Contained within a square shape, they are business-like and the slight diagonal element of the images themselves, working in opposition to the diagonal of the background, really adds a lot of energy to those slides. Although I hadn’t considered these elements before putting them in place, concentrating more on including images that would illustrate proper placement for my audience, this study of the visual communications of the presentation has allowed me to understand more about why I was so satisfied with their placement. Images such as these are often able to give greater information to an audience because they are able to see how things appear in the real world rather than simply trying to imagine what it might look like from a drawing. At the same time, they add a feeling of life into the presentation because the human element is clearly involved. Charts and graphs are another element of information graphics that can add a lot of information to a presentation in a small amount of space. Because of my subject matter, there was not a real place to utilize a bar graph or pie chart or anything of this nature without stretching the subject beyond the scope of the presentation. However, the graphic on slide five does include one form of a chart in that it depicts a visual representation of informational data. It demonstrates hierarchy of information in terms of the names of the arteries of the arm as one moves from the shoulder to the wrist and it provides the names and locations of these arteries within the arm. “Graphs or charts help people understand data quickly. Whether you want to make a comparison, show a relationship, or highlight a trend, they help your audience ‘see’ what you are talking about” (Charts and Graphs, 2010). Since the purpose of charts and graphs is to make the information immediately accessible to the viewer or reader, the bulleted text of the presentation may also qualify as a chart. It organizes the information quickly and easily and gives the audience a chance to ‘see’ what I am talking about while giving my presentation. This chart format is given emphasis with the open squared bullet points I used. I liked these because the small square in the center of the larger square reminded me of the traditional ‘bulls-eye’ target and I am trying to show people how to insert an IV on the first try (making a ‘bulls-eye’ on the patient). It is difficult for me to think of these bulleted lists as charts, though, because I usually associate this type of information with ideas of actual graphs full of blocks, shapes or lines, not just words. It was during the Modernist period in the beginning to mid-20th century that the communicative abilities of typeface were fully recognized and put to use. Since then, a number of people have studied the effects that various elements of type can have on a typical ‘Western’ public. In general, serif fonts are used for printed type and sans-serif fonts are used for electronic display. This is said to be because serifs help to hide the natural smudging of ink that occurs during the printing process while sans-serif reduces the amount of eye-strain in electronic formats (Lupton, 2004). Serifs are the little flags used at the stop points of letters such as can be seen in the typeface I selected for use in my presentation. Although I was also working in an electronic format in putting together my power point presentation, I liked the more traditional format of the serif letters and felt they would be comforting for my audience who might not feel all that comfortable with the idea of inserting IV needles into someone else’s arm. I also wanted my presentation to have some style, some element of ease that a very sharp serif might not convey. The font I chose allows the serif to smoothly blend in with the stem of the letter, giving it a softening effect. At the same time, small flourishes, such as what can be seen on the lowercase letter ‘g’ convey the sense of polish that I was seeking without looking like it’s trying too hard. Counters, the enclosed or partially enclosed areas of blank space formed by the letters (such as the white circle found in the center of the letter ‘o’), remain open and rounded, giving the letterforms a friendly, more feminine appeal. I think this is why the type works so well for this subject. It helps to break up the strong, serious tone of the background and the important elements of the presentation by injecting a little bit of feminine softness, reminding us that the reason it’s important to get this right the first time is so that we don’t cause the patient any unnecessary discomfort. However, this is only communicated through the type-style rather than more explicitly through words so the overall quality of the message remains intact. Within my presentation, I used two cartoons or illustrations. These are hand or computer-drawn images meant to represent an idea or object. In many ways, the difference between a photographic image and a cartoon or illustration can be thought of as the difference between sign and symbol. They are both images, but they are different in that one refers to the real thing and the other provides a representation of it, a suggestion of the real thing. One illustration I used has already been discussed at length and that is the graphic illustration found on slide 5. The other image that falls under this classification is the cartoon drawing of an IV bag on a pole used on slide 2. This is a relatively simple image and does little to add to the overall presentation quality other than filling the empty space of one of the beginning slides. If the audience member hasn’t been paying attention to my words, this black and white cartoon image would inform him that I am speaking about something to do with IVs, but that is about all the information this element brings to the presentation as a whole. The one thing I do like about it, though, is that it brings some attention to the equipment needed for the insertion of an IV. This is an important part of the process that can be overlooked if one is already stressing about how to insert the needle correctly. By including this graphic, I brought attention to the equipment itself. Reflecting about my overall presentation, taking into account what I’ve learned about effective visual communication, I am generally pleased with my performance. I know the information I offered was of value and the presentation itself was well balanced. The beginning graphic of the IV pole could have been used more effectively, but I was happy with the way that it called attention to the equipment and the way it helped to frame the page. Some elements I hadn’t really put a great deal of thought into at the time but that served to reinforce what I was trying to communicate were the specific photographic images I used and the typeface. It was a deliberate choice to use that particular font, but I hadn’t realized until doing the reflection why that font was the one that struck me as ‘right’. With my greater understanding of the elements of visual communication, I hope to create even more effective presentations in the future, perhaps including a more targeted approach to color, shape, font and illustration. References Bear, Jacci Howard. (2006). “The Meaning of Color.” About Desktop Publishing. Available May 7, 2010 “Charts and Graphs.” (2010). MindTools. Available May 7, 2010 Lupton, Ellen. (2004). Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors & Students. Princeton: Architectural Press. Newsom, Doug & Jim Haynes. (2004). Public Relations Writing: Form and Style. New York: Wadsworth Publishing. Zatz, Arline. (July-August 1992). “The Blue Star of Life: The Emergency Medical Care Symbol.” Rescue-EMS Magazine. Available May 7, 2010 Read More