Module 12

Enhancement: Adding More Meaning

If you typically create meaning through words, you will enjoy increasing your use of visual language to provide another channel for creating meaning. A key goal of visual design is effective communication. Helping the audience make sense of information through the visual dimension adds clarity to explanations. Look at the image to the left, it uses graphics to represent number of scouts protecting Maasai Wilderness. Pretty effective, right!?

As you generate ideas for visualizing content, you’ll discover there are many ways you can extend the meaning of an idea or concept by using the suggestions discussed next.

In this module, we’ll learn practical ways to make content more meaningful through the use of cultural conventions, visual metaphors, chunking, visualizing, and other techniques. These approaches are effective because they are attuned to how we understand and learn.

Goals and Outcomes

Goals

During this module, students will:

• be exposed to the ideas on using visuals to improve comprehension
• understand the impacts of visuals on comprehension.

Outcomes

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• utilize visuals to improve comprehension
• ensure graphics are interpreted correctly
• avoid overwhelming the audience.

Selected Readings

Required

• Chapter 14 from the following book:
  Malamed, C. (2015). Visual design solutions: Principles and creative inspiration for learning professionals. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Recommended

• http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/visual-perception-memory/

“To Do” List

Before and After #11: Enhancement

Please read the Before and After Assignment description page for further details about this assignment.

Outcomes

After completing this assignment, you will be able to:

• utilize visuals to improve comprehension
• ensure graphics are interpreted correctly
• avoid overwhelming the audience.

Instructions

1. Identify an image (before image) that violates visual design principles regarding Enhancement introduced in Chapter 14. Save your before onto your computer.
2. Create a new file (1200 x 1800 pixels, 72 Pixel/Inch) with Adobe Photoshop.
3. In the new file (after image), recreate the same information in the before image, but make each visual element comply with visual design principles introduced in previous modules and Chapter 14.
4. Upload both before and after images, including JPG and PSD files, onto a Weebly page.
5. In a paragraph (between 200 – 400 words), describe explicitly why the before image fails to comply with the visual principles and how you corrected it with your new design.

Submitting and Posting

1. 1. To submit your work, post URL of your Weebly page to the corresponding link under Submissions inside Moodle before 11:59 p.m. U.S. EST/EDT on the following Monday.

on the following Monday.

Grading

Your work will be graded based on the following requirements:

• Both images are uploaded (1 pt).
• The after image contains the same information presented in the before image (1 pt).
• The after image complies with visual design principles introduced in previous modules and Chapter 14 (2 pts).
• The narrative description is provided and it explicitly examines both images using visual design principles introduced in Chapter 14 (2 pts).