Monday, March 30, 2009

Creating Visuals in Professional Writing by Matt O'Shaughnessy


Clients and readers today expect to see professional graphics in professional documents. This may seem like extra work but this can easily be accomplished and can really spruce up your writing. A picture really is worth a thousand words!!! There are some rules and guidelines that should be followed and your graphics should make your document look nice and smooth.

WHY USE DIFFERENT FONTS, COLORS, AND GRAPHICS?
Graphics make concepts easier to understand.
Color, fonts, and graphics can help the reader comprehend an idea.
Graphics support and emphasize ideas.
Graphics generate interest and attract attention.
Graphics are important and powerful when integrated with text.


WHAT ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING FONTS?
There are thousands of different fonts out there today, however some are not suitable to be used in a professional document. With todays computers it is easy to view your work in all the different fonts so hopefully if you follow these simple guidelines you will pick a great font that will make your document stand out but at the same time look professional.
Find out what the reader or company wants or expects.
Consider what will be clear and readable.
Take into account the available space.
Think about the purpose of the document.
Consider the tone you want to use.


WHAT ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING COLOR?
Color is expected by today's readers, but it is more expensive and can not always be justified. Take into account the following guidelines when deciding to use color:
Colors should relate to the topic in appropriate ways.
Colors should enhance the company logo.
Dark or textured backgrounds should be used sparingly.
All colors should be tested as to what they will look like when produced in the final report form.


GENERAL GRAPHICS GUIDELINES
You should observe these guidelines when using any graphic:
Know the purpose of the graphic.
Check to see that the data are correct.
Always refer to graphics in the text.
Consider where to place the graphic in the text.
Place graphics vertically.
Keep graphics simple and uncluttered.
Place titles, source documentation, etc., with the graphic.


Here is a great video on how to turn a boring document into a professional looking one. Unfortunately the embedding option was disabled so I had to paste the URL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkJmB56GBfg

Pfeiffer, William. "Guidelines for Using Charts and Graphs." http://www.sandhills.edu/english/wordguide/chartadvice.html



2 comments:

  1. Keep your posts to a maximum of 250 words. Bloggers don't like to wade through lots of text. Work on that conciseness in business writing even if you only include the three most important tips in your post.
    Try to embed that video rather than post it as a link. Go to the video on YouTube and look on the right hand side of the screen below the advertisements. You will see the Embed code. Copy and paste that into your blog box.
    Also proofread your work for spelling and punctuation errors.

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  2. Matt,

    Good post bro; informative and interesting. Couple issues. 1) Your citation is not exactly correct; refer to your Writing That Workd text beginning page 185. There you will see exactly how to site a website and everything else in proper APA MLA format. 2) I need audio visuals from you man. All in all good work though. Thank you

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