Printed

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Printed Published MaterialsVisual Literacy

• EEV Workshop
• Dr. Michele Dornisch

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Page Layout

• On a printed page, what are different page
  layouts you might have?
• On a transparency, whats the best way to layout
  the page?
• On a PowerPoint page, what are possible layouts?
• On a webpage, what are possible layouts? What
  types do you like best?

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The Reading Z

• What is the reading Z?
• Keep this principle in mind when designing the
  page.
• Where would you put a headline considering this
  principle?

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Good Design Practices

• Limit the amount of information on a page
• Write short paragraphs
• Use subheadings for easy skimming
• Use consistent fonts and sizes
• Headings should be 1/3 larger than text

• Be consistent
• Use lots of white space
• Apply consist margins and columns
• Align columns
• Dont justify text unless theres a good reason
• Avoid widows and orphans

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Four Basic Principles

• Proximity
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Contrast

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Proximity

• Group related items together
• Items NOT related to each other should NOT be in
  close proximity

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Proximity (what to avoid)

• Avoid too many separate elements on a page
• Dont stick things in the corners and in the
  middle of the pages
• Avoid leaving equal amounts of white space
  between elements unless each group is part of a
  subset

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Alignment

• There are several ways to align text on a page
  left align, right align, center align, justified
  align
• Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily
  every item should have a visual connection with
  something else on the page
• Centering text can be
• Amateurish
• Dull
• Consider using
• Strong flush left
• Making centered text more dramatic

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Take a few minutes (5)

• Read the following page
• http//www.sheriftariq.org/design/align/index.html
  

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Alignment

• Stick to one alignment on the page either flush
  left, flush right, or centered (proximity 6 7).
• Make sure every item on the page has some visual
  alignment with another item on the page.
• Avoid centered headings and subheads over
  indented paragraphs
• Make sure columns and other items on the page are
  aligned.

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Repetition

• You should repeat some aspect of the design
  throughout the entire piece
• Bold font
• Thick line
• Type of bullet
• Color
• Design element

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Repetition

• Avoid repeating the element so much that it is
  annoying or overwhelming

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Contrast

• Contrast is created when two elements are
  different
• If two items are not exactly the same, then make
  them different. Really different

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Other Elements to Consider

• Color
• White Space
• Typography (Fonts)

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Color

• How to combine colors on the color wheel

Take a break read about color
http//www.sheriftariq.org/design/color/index.html
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White Space

• Use a lot of White Space! Read the following page
  and return to all of us.
• http//www.sheriftariq.org/design/whitespace/index
  .html

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Typography

• Fonts
• Old style or serif fonts have feet to help
  guide readers eye from one letter to another -
  they are good for the body of the text
• Choose serif fonts such as Century Schoolbook,
  Bookman Old Style, Times New Roman
• Sans serif fonts are without feet - they are
  good for headings
• Choose fonts such as Franklin Gothic Book and
  Arial Black

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Typography

• Font Sizes
• Forget teeny, tiny sizes (anything under 10
  point) - small sizes are difficult to read
• 12 or 14 point is probably best (14 is primary
  size - avoid thinking of it as baby type)
• Font Weight
• If you want to save space, use a light weight font

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Typography

• Font Style
• Font styles are meant to add emphasis, not
  distract
• Dont do more than two things to one character
  (bold and italics are fine, but dont add shadow
  and underline too)
• UPPERCASE LETTERS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ -
  restrict the use of uppercase to short phrases
  like WARNING
• Read the following two pages http//www.sheriftar
  iq.org/design/fonts/rules.html
• http//www.sheriftariq.org/design/fonts/common.htm
  l

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Graphics
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The Rule of Thirds
The most important elements should appear near
the intersections of the lines dividing the
visual into thirds
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Placing graphics on a Page

• Aim for the upper-center or top 2/5ths of the
  page for graphics or key information
• Normally, the most important graphic is just
  above the center of the page
• The Rule of Thirds - divide the page into nine
  parts - the four intersections just off the
  center are good places for important points

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Selecting Graphics

• Is the graphic relevant, or just cute?
• Is it important to the presentation, or extra?
• Does it add information, duplicate info., or
  provide another way of looking at info.?
• Does it present too much or too little
  information at once?
• Is it clear and self-explanatory?
• Would another form be better to express the
  intent?

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Placing Graphic Elements

• Make sure the graphic doesnt interfere with
  reading the information
• Each graphic should have a purpose graphics
  should reinforce, not distract
• Numbering implies an order of importance or a
  ranking

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Designing Projected Materials
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Designing projected materials

• Use a horizontal orientation of 7.5 x 9.5 in.

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Designing transparencies
Use graphical ideas (accompanied by text is okay)
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Designing transparencies
Single concept
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Designing Handouts
Minimum Verbiage
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Laying Out Projected Materials

• Stick to one idea
• Limit the number of words
• Use verbs
• Stick to phrases
• Use only key words

• Carefully choose
• Fonts
• Sizes
• Styles
• Use visual elements
• Leave white space

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Graphs and Charts
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Use tables for numeric data
Graphs and charts
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Use line charts for trends
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Use bar charts for comparisons
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Use pie charts for relative size
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Use Organization charts to show structure
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Use Flowcharts to show a procedure or sequence
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Designing Projected Slides
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Directionals
If you want viewers to read the display in a
particular sequence, use arrows or other
directionals
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Arrangements of elements
Elements should be arranged in familiar patters
The Geometric or O pattern
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Arrangements of elements
Elements should be arranged in familiar patters
The T pattern
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Arrangements of elements
Elements should be arranged in familiar patters
The Z pattern
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Balance
A psychological sense of equilibrium is achieved
when the weight of the elements in a display is
equally distributed on each side of an axis,
horizontally and vertically
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Consistency

• When creating a series of displays (overhead,
  handouts, screens) be consistent in arrangement
  of elements (similar elements in similar
  locations - headings, text, graphics)
• Use the same text for headlines and body
• Use the same color scheme throughout

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Visual Literacy

• Discuss

The Primary literacy of the 21st Century will be
visual.
The child born into poverty will be even more
affected by visual influences than more
advantaged classmates.
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Visual Literacy

• Discuss

Students need to recognize that attaining visual
literacy is the necessary first step in acquiring
visual intelligence, which is essential for any
sort of critical thinking in the 21st century.
"Seeing is believing" goes the old saying, but
this axiom has never been less true than it is
today. We live in an age where photos, video, and
film can be digitally altered to represent any
reality imaginable an era in which what we see
is not what we getwhat we see is what the person
creating the image wants us to see .
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What is Visual Literacy?
The learned ability to interpret visual messages
accurately and to create such messages.
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A Visually literate person should be able to

• Interpret, understand, and appreciate the meaning
  of visual messages
• Communicate more effectively by applying the
  basic principles and concepts of visual design
• Produce visual messages using computers and other
  technologies and
• Use visual thinking to conceptualize solutions to
  problems

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Why use Visuals?

• To provide a concrete referent for ideas (visuals
  have resemblance to the thing they represent)
• To simplify information that is difficult to
  understand
• To provide a redundant channel (when accompanying
  written - or spoken - information, visuals
  present a different modality)

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Important Issues to Consider
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Interpreting/Decoding Visuals

• What are the developmental effects of
  interpreting visuals?
• Up until about the age 12, learners interpret
  visuals section by section rather than as a whole
  (the result is that abstract symbols may fail to
  communicate as intended)

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Which depicts motion best?
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Interpreting/Decoding Visuals

• What are the cultural effects of using visuals?
• Different cultural groups may perceive visual
  materials in different ways

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Well Designed visuals communicate clearly across
boundaries of language and culture
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Visual preferences

• Most learners prefer colored visuals over black,
  but there is no significant difference in amount
  of learning
• People prefer photos over line drawings (but line
  drawings may communicate better)

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Goals of Visual Design

• Ensure legibility
• Reduce the effort required to interpret the
  message
• Increase viewers active engagement with the
  message
• Focus attention on the most important part of the
  message