Using Visual Aids /

Graphics

Reasons for using visual aids:

1. To simplify ideas
2. To reinforce ideas
3. To provide a different entry point
into the discussion.
4. To create interest

Formatting Visual Aids

1. Make sure visual aids are neat.
2. Keep the visuals simple.
3. Refer to each visual clearly in the text
BEFORE placing it on the page.
(Ex: Figure 1 below shows.)
4. Place each visual in a convenient place for
the reader to see.
(same page, opposite page, other pages,
attachment or appendices)

Formatting Visual Aids (cont.)

5. For visuals used in conjunction with
reports, explain the significance of the
visual in the report when introducing the
visual.
6. Provide a title for every visual.
7. Number Tables and Figures consecutively
but separately,
throughout.
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Formatting Visual Aids (cont.)

8. Give credit for the visual if you did not
compile yourself or if compiled using
borrowed data.
9. Align decimals when they are presented
in columns.
10. Where possible, spell out words rather
than use abbreviations.

How to Discuss Visual Aids

May explain:
Elementary information one fact
Example: on Wednesday, the stocks
price rose.
Intermediate information a trend in one
category.
Example: as the week progressed, the
stock price fluctuated.
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How to Discuss Visual Aids (cont.)

Overall information a trend that
relates several categories.
Example: after the price dropped,
investors rushed to buy at a low.
Background who ordered or
conducted the study, reasons for
doing so and problems they wanted to
investigate.
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How to Discuss Visual Aids (cont.)

Methodology how the data were
collected.
Significance the impact of the
data for some other concern, for
instance, investor confidence.
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Types of visual aids

Pie chart visual impression is of
parts of a whole, where the segments
total 100 percent.
Vertical and horizontal bar charts
visual impression is of discrete
quantities, effective in representing
comparisons and contrasts.
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Types of visual aids (cont.)

Line chart visual impression is of
progression over time, effective in
showing chronological change.
Tables organize data into rows and
columns to simplify groups of related
numbers.

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The graph below compares the number of visits to two new music sites on
the web.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown

below

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introduction
The graph shows people using new
music places on the Internet in
fifteen days period of time namely
personal choice and trendy pop music.
The overall trend shows fluctuation
with slight Increase towards the end
of the period.
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Music Choice websites has 40,000 people on first-day. Half of

them backed out the next day. In Contrast , Pop Parade net sites
are visited by 120,000 music lovers on day one which decreased
slightly on the next day . After 3rd day the enthusiasm for both
music lines on Internet dropped slowly- reaching maximum fall of
40,000 on 7th day. Whereas Music choice gains popularity, slightly
Improving to get 30,000 viewers on screen, but is still less
visitors than Pop group . both gain remarkable recovery after a
few fluctuations for 8th and 9th day , reaching to their peaks of
one and a half thousand new viewers for Pop Parade on 11th day
showing a contrast of very few people visiting Music choice for the
same day. Music choice gained popularity on 12th day with more
than 120,000 new visitors

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 In the end of the period Pop sites

were visited by maximum viewers of
180,000 whereas sites located to
Music choice were not explored by
more than 80,000 explorers on the
last day of the report.

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 In the end of the period Pop sites were visited by

maximum viewers of 180,000 whereas sites located
to Music choice are not explored by more than one
third of that same explorers on the last day of the
report. The trend is expected to remain.
rt. The trend is expected to remain.

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- THE END -

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