Workplace Communications The Basics George J. Searles Fifth Edition

Transcription

1 Workplace Communications The Basics George J. Searles Fifth Edition

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3 Effective Visuals: Tables, Graphs, Charts, and Illustrations TechTips At this point, electronic clip art has almost completely replaced hard-copy drawings, partially because the electronic versions can easily be enhanced, enlarged, reduced, or otherwise modified to suit anyone s needs. Electronic clip art packages sort the images into categories by topic, thereby simplifying the task of finding what you want to insert into documents. One especially useful form of clip art is the icon, a simple image with all nonessential detail removed. An icon instantaneously conveys a specific idea visually. The icons for no smoking, wheelchair access, and restrooms at the beginning of this chapter are good examples. Others would be the toolbar icons that appear on most word-processing screens. Packages intended for use in preparing oral or online presentations commonly feature live-action video, sound effects, and music clips. Purchasing the package entitles you to free use without paying royalty fees. Electronic clip art is available from mail-order catalogs, local retail stores, and online sources such as Microsoft and America Online. Perhaps the most popular of the royalty-free Web sites, however, is Google Images. Like all graphics, however, you should not use clip art excessively. You risk trivializing your work unless you exercise selectivity and restraint. Clip art is a highly useful option, but as with written text less is often more. Checklist Evaluating a Visual A good visual is the most appropriate choice table, graph, chart, or picture for a particular communication; is numbered and titled, with the source (if any) identified; occupies the best possible position within the document, immediately after the text it clarifies; does not appear crowded, with enough white space surrounding it to ensure effective page design; includes clear, accurate labels that plainly identify all elements; includes a key if necessary for further clarification; maintains consistency with all relevant text in terms of wording, point of view, and so on; upholds strict standards of accuracy; contains no typos or mechanical errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, or grammar. 77

4 Effective Visuals: Tables, Graphs, Charts, and Illustrations EXERCISES EXERCISE 1 Choosing from Column B, identify the most appropriate kind of visual for depicting each item in Column A. Column A Registration procedure at your college Interest-rate fluctuations during the past 10 years Inner workings of a steam boiler Structure of the U.S. executive branch Average salaries of six selected occupations Uniform numbers, names, ages, hometowns, heights/weights, and playing positions of the members of a college football team House for sale Percentage distribution of your college s student body by major Automobile steering mechanism Circuitry of an electronic calculator Column B Table Photograph Line graph Bar graph Cutaway view Diagram Flowchart Exploded view Organizational chart Pie chart EXERCISE 2 Create a table showing the current cost per gallon for regular and high octane of three major brands of gasoline. Include self-serve and full-service variables, if applicable. EXERCISE 3 Create a line graph showing your favorite professional sports team s place in the league standings for the past 10 seasons. EXERCISE 4 Building on the information in Exercise 3, create a double-line graph comparing your favorite professional sports team s place in the league standings for the past 10 seasons to that of one other team. EXERCISE 5 Create a bar graph showing the total population of the New England states. 78

5 Effective Visuals: Tables, Graphs, Charts, and Illustrations EXERCISE 6 Write a two- or three-page report explaining a process related to your field of study or employment. Include a flowchart depicting that process. EXERCISE 7 Write a two- or three-page report about a club or other group to which you belong. Include a chart showing its organizational structure. EXERCISE 8 Create a circle graph showing how you spend your money in a typical month. EXERCISE 9 Create drawings of any three of the following: a flashlight (cutaway), an electric plug (exploded), the route from your home to your college (map), three different kinds of hammers, and the floor plan of a place where you have worked. EXERCISE 10 Find and photocopy or otherwise reproduce an example of each kind of visual discussed in this chapter. Write a booklet report that incorporates the visuals and evaluates them for clarity and effectiveness. Icon Credits: Courtesy Shutterstock 79

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7 Short Reports: Page Design, Formats, and Types LEARNING OBJECTIVE When you complete this chapter, you ll be able to apply the basic principles of page design and format to write effective reports of various kinds. Page Design Report Formats: Memo, Letter, and Booklet Types of Reports Incident Report Progress Report Recommendation Report Travel Report Checklist: Evaluating a Memo Report Checklist: Evaluating a Letter Report Checklist: Evaluating a Booklet Report Exercises From Chapter 5 of Workplace Communications: The Basics, Fifth Edition. George J. Searles. Copyright 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. Published by Pearson Longman. All rights reserved. 81