{"id":148,"date":"2022-04-04T15:53:54","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/chapter\/using-visual-media-resources\/"},"modified":"2022-04-04T15:53:54","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:53:54","slug":"using-visual-media-resources","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/chapter\/using-visual-media-resources\/","title":{"raw":"Using Visual Media Resources","rendered":"Using Visual Media Resources"},"content":{"raw":"\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcome<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li>Describe professional standards for using visual media resources for business purposes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nAs a rule, in all business communications, we should have:\n<ul>\n \t<li>Clarity<\/li>\n \t<li>Conciseness<\/li>\n \t<li>Objectivity<\/li>\n \t<li>Consistency<\/li>\n \t<li>Completeness<\/li>\n \t<li>Relevancy<\/li>\n \t<li>Audience awareness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIf you keep these seven communication principles in mind when you\u2019re crafting your message, you improve the chances that your message will be effective. Now we are going to add visual media to our communication toolbox; visual media increases your message\u2019s impact.\n\nHow does a visual element give your message more impact? Think about the last time you asked directions to a friend\u2019s house. If you are one of those people whose eyes glaze over at the first \u201cgo north\u201d or \u201chead east,\u201d then you know how helpful it is when someone draws you a map. It\u2019s a simple visual aid that takes the place of all of those words in the directions. That map makes your directions easier to remember. There are examples of this representation all around you. The word \u201cSTOP\u201d is a fairly easy word, but a red light or octagonal sign removes the need of any words at all. The weather report shows you a rain cloud, and you grab your umbrella without a second thought.\n\nIf your message can be more clearly understood by incorporating visual media, then by all means, you should do it. And to incorporate visuals effectively, you should understand that you\u2019re going to heed all seven principles of communication, particularly these:\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Clarity:<\/strong> your visuals should be clear, clean, and simple<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Consistency:<\/strong> your visuals should all maintain a uniform look and feel<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Relevancy:<\/strong> your visuals should make sense as a part of the whole communication and be on-brand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAnd then we\u2019re going to add a whole new principle to the mix, that your visuals should be <strong>persuasive<\/strong>: your visuals should inspire an emotional bond or a new level of understanding.\n\nLet\u2019s look at each one of these principles separately.\n<h2>Clarity<\/h2>\nWhen considering the use of visual media, make sure that it\u2019s easy for the reader to glean the information he needs. Some general rules we\u2019ll keep in mind as we go through this module include,\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Use bold, contrasting colors<\/strong>. If you have a pie chart or a graph, it helps to make one piece red, another yellow, and yet another blue. This makes the chart easier to read than if each piece is a different shade of green. Make sure your chart pops with color, and there will be no question which piece is which.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Use easy-to-read fonts<\/strong>. Loopy letters and heavy calligraphy strokes slow your reader down. Choose a font that\u2019s easy to read, like one of the many discussed by author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awai.com\/2011\/10\/the-best-fonts-to-use-in-print-online-and-email\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Wood in his blog for the American Writers &amp; Artists, Inc.<\/a> website.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Use only pertinent information<\/strong>. If the point of your communication is to show that sales have gone up 22 percent over last year, your graph should feature that information\u2014and nothing else. If you throw expenses, employee turnover and gross margin on that same chart, your reader will miss your message. Point out the information you need to highlight, and let everything else fade into the background.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Consistency<\/h2>\nThis module on visual media looks a lot like the other modules in this business communication course, doesn\u2019t it? Same kind of headers, same colors. Uniformity helps the reader understand what to expect and better prepares them to take in your message. Here are a few things we\u2019ll try to do in this module as we study different types of visual media:\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Stick to the format of your charts and graphs wherever you\u2019re able.<\/strong> If you start out with that bar chart showing annual sales, don\u2019t make it a line graph in the next section and a stacked bar chart in the section after that. Using different charts to show the same information slows your reader down unnecessarily. Keep in mind that if you found the best visual scheme to explain the data in the first place, there's no reason to change it to a less-effective one just for the sake of variety.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Stick to the color scheme and fonts you\u2019ve already established.<\/strong> If you show sales on your graphs in red, always show them in red. If you\u2019ve chosen one easy-to-read font for all your tables, or a similar style of photo for all the sections of your annual report, there\u2019s no need to deviate.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Use pictures that are visually similar.<\/strong> If you\u2019re using a series of head shots, the heads should all be about the same size. If four of the pictures show a person\u2019s head and shoulders, the fifth one should not be showing a person from the waist up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Relevancy<\/h2>\nIf your message is communicating annual sales, your charts and graphs shouldn\u2019t be dealing with employee turnover rates. If your message is about your company\u2019s efforts to reduce waste, that message should not feature a photo of a cute puppy. That\u2019s relevancy at a very basic level.\n\nKeeping communication \u201con brand\u201d takes relevancy to a whole new level. Companies rely on visual media as much as the written word to deliver their brand message, and as a communicator, you need to keep your choices in visual media relevant to your company\u2019s mission and promise to its customers.\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Colors in Branding: Target and Disney<\/h3>\nIf you ever visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.target.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Target\u2019s website<\/a>, you may notice there\u2019s a whole lot of red. That didn\u2019t happen by accident. Target has a series of colors and images that coincide with the way they identify themselves as a company and the promises they make to their customers. You see a lot of crisp clean backgrounds with vivid pictures showing style and value\u2014and a lot of red fonts and bulls eyes.\n\nConversely, Disney\u2019s main color is blue, but Sleeping Beauty\u2019s castle and that cartoon mouse are even more closely associated with the company\u2019s mission and promise to customers. Disney photos always depict happy families interacting with characters and enjoying the entertainment.\n\n<\/div>\nLarge companies usually have a set of brand guidelines or a brand \"style guide\" that communicators can consult to familiarize themselves with the company\u2019s preferred color palette, fonts and image standards. All of your business communications represent an opportunity to reinforce and reflect your company\u2019s brand, and it\u2019s your duty as a communicator to do so.\n<h2>Persuasiveness<\/h2>\nYour visual media choice should help you tell your story. Even if your data is perfect, it\u2019s no guarantee your audience is going to jump on board with you. Your use of image, chart, or video should indicate it is from a reliable source, be simple to read, and allow you to show the audience exactly how you drew the conclusion you\u2019ve drawn. If you\u2019re communicating in aid of a cause, it doesn\u2019t hurt to choose an image that invokes a little emotion.\n\nThis doesn\u2019t mean that you should sacrifice the principle of objectivity when you employ persuasiveness in your visual media. But your communication strategy on the whole is an engagement tool, and your choice of visuals should strengthen that engagement.\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Practice Question<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/8560\n\n<\/div>\n<h2>Contribute!<\/h2>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\">Did you have an idea for improving this content? We\u2019d love your input.<\/div>\n<a style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 600; color: #077fab; text-decoration: none; border: 2px solid #077fab; border-radius: 7px; padding: 5px 25px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.5em;\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1xpYQorPfUyQ4XXEIMQsBm185822STF4q2LuMG9giWQ8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Improve this page<\/a><a style=\"margin-left: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1vy-T6DtTF-BbMfpVEI7VP_R7w2A4anzYZLXR8Pk4Fu4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn More<\/a>\n","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcome<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe professional standards for using visual media resources for business purposes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>As a rule, in all business communications, we should have:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clarity<\/li>\n<li>Conciseness<\/li>\n<li>Objectivity<\/li>\n<li>Consistency<\/li>\n<li>Completeness<\/li>\n<li>Relevancy<\/li>\n<li>Audience awareness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you keep these seven communication principles in mind when you\u2019re crafting your message, you improve the chances that your message will be effective. Now we are going to add visual media to our communication toolbox; visual media increases your message\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n<p>How does a visual element give your message more impact? Think about the last time you asked directions to a friend\u2019s house. If you are one of those people whose eyes glaze over at the first \u201cgo north\u201d or \u201chead east,\u201d then you know how helpful it is when someone draws you a map. It\u2019s a simple visual aid that takes the place of all of those words in the directions. That map makes your directions easier to remember. There are examples of this representation all around you. The word \u201cSTOP\u201d is a fairly easy word, but a red light or octagonal sign removes the need of any words at all. The weather report shows you a rain cloud, and you grab your umbrella without a second thought.<\/p>\n<p>If your message can be more clearly understood by incorporating visual media, then by all means, you should do it. And to incorporate visuals effectively, you should understand that you\u2019re going to heed all seven principles of communication, particularly these:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clarity:<\/strong> your visuals should be clear, clean, and simple<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consistency:<\/strong> your visuals should all maintain a uniform look and feel<\/li>\n<li><strong>Relevancy:<\/strong> your visuals should make sense as a part of the whole communication and be on-brand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And then we\u2019re going to add a whole new principle to the mix, that your visuals should be <strong>persuasive<\/strong>: your visuals should inspire an emotional bond or a new level of understanding.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at each one of these principles separately.<\/p>\n<h2>Clarity<\/h2>\n<p>When considering the use of visual media, make sure that it\u2019s easy for the reader to glean the information he needs. Some general rules we\u2019ll keep in mind as we go through this module include,<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use bold, contrasting colors<\/strong>. If you have a pie chart or a graph, it helps to make one piece red, another yellow, and yet another blue. This makes the chart easier to read than if each piece is a different shade of green. Make sure your chart pops with color, and there will be no question which piece is which.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use easy-to-read fonts<\/strong>. Loopy letters and heavy calligraphy strokes slow your reader down. Choose a font that\u2019s easy to read, like one of the many discussed by author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awai.com\/2011\/10\/the-best-fonts-to-use-in-print-online-and-email\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Wood in his blog for the American Writers &amp; Artists, Inc.<\/a> website.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use only pertinent information<\/strong>. If the point of your communication is to show that sales have gone up 22 percent over last year, your graph should feature that information\u2014and nothing else. If you throw expenses, employee turnover and gross margin on that same chart, your reader will miss your message. Point out the information you need to highlight, and let everything else fade into the background.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Consistency<\/h2>\n<p>This module on visual media looks a lot like the other modules in this business communication course, doesn\u2019t it? Same kind of headers, same colors. Uniformity helps the reader understand what to expect and better prepares them to take in your message. Here are a few things we\u2019ll try to do in this module as we study different types of visual media:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stick to the format of your charts and graphs wherever you\u2019re able.<\/strong> If you start out with that bar chart showing annual sales, don\u2019t make it a line graph in the next section and a stacked bar chart in the section after that. Using different charts to show the same information slows your reader down unnecessarily. Keep in mind that if you found the best visual scheme to explain the data in the first place, there&#8217;s no reason to change it to a less-effective one just for the sake of variety.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stick to the color scheme and fonts you\u2019ve already established.<\/strong> If you show sales on your graphs in red, always show them in red. If you\u2019ve chosen one easy-to-read font for all your tables, or a similar style of photo for all the sections of your annual report, there\u2019s no need to deviate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use pictures that are visually similar.<\/strong> If you\u2019re using a series of head shots, the heads should all be about the same size. If four of the pictures show a person\u2019s head and shoulders, the fifth one should not be showing a person from the waist up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Relevancy<\/h2>\n<p>If your message is communicating annual sales, your charts and graphs shouldn\u2019t be dealing with employee turnover rates. If your message is about your company\u2019s efforts to reduce waste, that message should not feature a photo of a cute puppy. That\u2019s relevancy at a very basic level.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping communication \u201con brand\u201d takes relevancy to a whole new level. Companies rely on visual media as much as the written word to deliver their brand message, and as a communicator, you need to keep your choices in visual media relevant to your company\u2019s mission and promise to its customers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Colors in Branding: Target and Disney<\/h3>\n<p>If you ever visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.target.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Target\u2019s website<\/a>, you may notice there\u2019s a whole lot of red. That didn\u2019t happen by accident. Target has a series of colors and images that coincide with the way they identify themselves as a company and the promises they make to their customers. You see a lot of crisp clean backgrounds with vivid pictures showing style and value\u2014and a lot of red fonts and bulls eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Disney\u2019s main color is blue, but Sleeping Beauty\u2019s castle and that cartoon mouse are even more closely associated with the company\u2019s mission and promise to customers. Disney photos always depict happy families interacting with characters and enjoying the entertainment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Large companies usually have a set of brand guidelines or a brand &#8220;style guide&#8221; that communicators can consult to familiarize themselves with the company\u2019s preferred color palette, fonts and image standards. All of your business communications represent an opportunity to reinforce and reflect your company\u2019s brand, and it\u2019s your duty as a communicator to do so.<\/p>\n<h2>Persuasiveness<\/h2>\n<p>Your visual media choice should help you tell your story. Even if your data is perfect, it\u2019s no guarantee your audience is going to jump on board with you. Your use of image, chart, or video should indicate it is from a reliable source, be simple to read, and allow you to show the audience exactly how you drew the conclusion you\u2019ve drawn. If you\u2019re communicating in aid of a cause, it doesn\u2019t hurt to choose an image that invokes a little emotion.<\/p>\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean that you should sacrifice the principle of objectivity when you employ persuasiveness in your visual media. But your communication strategy on the whole is an engagement tool, and your choice of visuals should strengthen that engagement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Practice Question<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"lumen_assessment_8560\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/load?assessment_id=8560&#38;embed=1&#38;external_user_id=&#38;external_context_id=&#38;iframe_resize_id=lumen_assessment_8560\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:400px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Contribute!<\/h2>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\">Did you have an idea for improving this content? We\u2019d love your input.<\/div>\n<p><a style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 600; color: #077fab; text-decoration: none; border: 2px solid #077fab; border-radius: 7px; padding: 5px 25px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.5em;\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1xpYQorPfUyQ4XXEIMQsBm185822STF4q2LuMG9giWQ8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Improve this page<\/a><a style=\"margin-left: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1vy-T6DtTF-BbMfpVEI7VP_R7w2A4anzYZLXR8Pk4Fu4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-148\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Using Visual Media Resources. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Freedom Learning Group. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":395986,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Using Visual Media Resources\",\"author\":\"Freedom Learning Group\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"8c95ac19-e01f-4d68-9762-533ee83ebf77, 5da194f2-2d7d-4037-81ff-27e5efb8275c","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-148","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":145,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/395986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/148\/revisions"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/145"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/148\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=148"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=148"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}