Technical

writing using
graphics
Why use images
 Why use images

• To enhance the discussion

• Clarify content by reducing words

• Simple way of communicating a large amount of

information (a picture is worth a thousand words)

• Generally makes document more interesting

 Example
• The house is 36 feet wide and 62 feet long at the
base. It has two garage doors, an entry door, and a
barn door on the second floor facing the street. The
second floor is smaller than the first floor with
dimensions of 36 feet by 34 feet over the main part of
the house, and there is a 26 foot by 26 foot second
story over the two car garage. There is a 14-foot
square tower in the centre of the house with an
attached deck. The tower has a peaked roof, and the
remainder of the house has gabled roofs—one
aligned north-south and one east-west. The house is
gray with white trim. The roof is black, and the siding
is cedar shingles.
Example
 Hold on

• What is missing from the image on the previous

slide?
– A caption
– Reference
– Referring to the illustration in text
 How to effectively refer to images
• Caption all images, tables and equations
• Cite the source (where applicable)
• Must make the meaning/content evident
• What is shown, in the form of a clear and concise phrase
 How to effectively refer to images
• Caption all images, tables and equations
• Cite the source (where applicable)
• Must make the meaning/content evident
• What is shown, in the form of a clear and concise phrase
• Introduce the image
• Refer to the figure in text
• Shortly state what is shown
• Place the figure as close to the first in text referral to it
 How to effectively refer to images
• Caption all images, tables and equations
• Cite the source (where applicable)
• Must make the meaning/content evident
• What is shown, in the form of a clear and concise phrase
• Introduce the image
• Refer to the figure in text
• Shortly state what is shown
• Place the figure as close to the first in text referral to it
• Clearly indicate what the reader should conclude from
the image
• A picture says a 1000 words, which of these are important
• Highlight unexpected trends in data
• Make use of annotations
 How to effectively refer to images
• Mention and
discuss
general
trends
• Show
specific
areas of
interest like
this ->
Use labelling where appropriate
Group related images together

[2]
 Finally

• The principles discussed here apply to tables and

equations as well
• The use of images, tables and equations should add to
the argument you put forth in your writing
• Images and tables convey a large quantity of
information, highlight key points of interest for the
reader
• Three easy steps to accomplish this
– Explain where the graph / figure comes from
– Explain the variables within the graph / figure
– Explain the significance of the graph / figure
 Activity 1

1. Provide a caption for the image.

2. Identify the major trend shown in the graph.

 Activity 2

1. Briefly explain the main trend shown in the graph.

 Some notes on creating your own
information graphics
• Be accurate
• Think about area
• Focus on the key message
– The 5-second rule
– Tell one story really well
• Minimize text
• Be data transparent
Example
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