Chapter 9 Visual Media 1) Compared to poorly written text, badly designed visuals are ________ to be noticed by your audience. A) less likely B) more likely C) just as likely D) not eligible Answer: B Explanation: B) A poorly designed visual is highly conspicuous and takes up much more space than text. For that reason, an awkward or inappropriate visual is a bigger threat to your credibility than poorly written text. 2) All of the following guidelines except ________ will help you avoid ethical lapses when you're creating visual support for a business message. A) aggregating data carefully B) oversimplifying complex situations C) providing background information D) avoiding emotional manipulation Answer: B Explanation: B) It is unethical to mislead an audience by hiding or downplaying complications that are important to their understanding of the situation you're representing. 3) Use the concept of ________ to help you design visuals that are consistent from one page of a document to the next. A) data visualization B) visual parallelism C) graphical enrichment D) visual enhancement Answer: B Explanation: B) Consistency is fundamental to effective visual design. Visual parallelism promotes consistent design elements throughout a document. 4) Consider the statements below. Which one of them is true? A) Contemporary audiences don't expect messages to contain visual elements. B) Today's video and graphic technology is so complex that only professionals can use it. C) Visuals can help you communicate your messages to audiences with lower reading skills. D) Your ability to create and interpret visuals will have little to do with your success in business. Answer: C Explanation: C) Research shows that only 50% of adults in the USA have the literacy skills required for success in today's workplace. Visuals could play a vital role in communicating your messages to audience members with lower literacy skills. 5) Clip art cluttering a bar chart is an example of A) a pictogram. B) chartjunk. C) a good way to grab reader interest. D) all of the above. Answer: B Explanation: B) Chartjunk is defined as any visual element that is added to an image for decorative (or other) purposes that does contribute any value or meaning to the image. Chartjunk clutters visuals and makes them hard to interpret. 6) Examples of ethical lapses to avoid in business visuals include all of the following except A) including photos that play on racial or gender stereotypes. B) expanding the detail of a graphic in order to make it more readable. C) altering photos or graphs to hide information that could make you look bad. D) distorting the axes on a line chart to make sales look like they have increased significantly over previous years. Answer: B Explanation: B) Most lapses come from hiding or distorting information. Rather than hide or distort, making a graphic more readable is likely to reduce the chance of misinterpretation. 7) If you have a great deal of detailed, specific information to present to allow users to find specific data point values in decimal form, the best visual to use would be a A) table. B) pie chart. C) diagram. D) Gantt chart. Answer: A Explanation: A) Tables are best for presenting detailed, specific information in large quantities. 8) Use a ________ to show frequency or distribution of parts in a whole. A) bar chart B) histogram C) flowchart D) pie chart Answer: D Explanation: D) Use a pie chart when you need to show frequency or distribution of parts in a whole. 9) When you need to show processes, transformations, and other activities, the most effective visual choice would be A) infographics. B) flowcharts and diagrams. C) animations and videos. D) data visualizations. Answer: C Explanation: C) Use animation and video to show processes, transformations, and other activities. 10) When you're creating a table for online use, ________ to make sure that the table is easy to read. A) reduce the number of columns and rows B) remove lines and spaces between columns and rows C) display data items in unrounded, multiple units D) present large amounts of data and information Answer: A Explanation: A) Printed tables can display extensive amounts of information, but tables intended for online display and electronic presentations must be simpler. 11) When preparing numerical tables, you should A) be sure to identify the units you are using. B) use at least three colors to hold the audience's attention. C) use a font no larger than 9 points. D) do all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) The units may be provided in each table cell as shown below: Alternatively, units may be labeled on vertical or horizontal table headings, as in: 12) The best type of visual for showing that annual consumer spending has decreased over the past ten years would be A) a table. B) a pie chart. C) a line chart. D) an organization chart. Answer: C Explanation: C) A line chart is best for showing how a variable changes over time or showing the relationship of two or more variables. These features can be shown on bar charts as well, but bar charts cannot show time as a continuous variable. 13) When preparing a line chart, keep in mind that you should A) never leave out increments from the vertical axis. B) be especially careful to avoid distorting the data. C) never include negative numbers on the vertical axis. D) all of the above. Answer: B Explanation: B) You can distort your data if you choose the range for your axes as too great or too small. Distortions also occur when an axis shows only part of an entire range, such as percentages from 90 percent to 100 percent, rather than showing a range from 0 percent to 100 percent. 14) The best visual for illustrating a manufacturer's quality control process would be a A) line chart. B) flowchart. C) scatter diagram. D) pie chart. Answer: B Explanation: B) Flowcharts are best for showing conceptual rather than numeric relationships. Flowcharts are ideal for showing a complicated, multi-step manufacturing process, allowing sequential steps and relationships to be shown visually. 15) A surface chart is A) a type of three-dimensional pie chart. B) a form of line chart in which all the lines add up to the top line. C) a type of map showing various terrains. D) used to show interrelationships within an organization. Answer: B Explanation: B) The top line of the surface chart shows the cumulative total from all of the contributors. The area between each pair of lines below shows the contribution from a single contributor alone. Note that the bottom contributor accounts for the entire area from its top border to the bottom of the graph. 16) A bar chart would be particularly useful for A) illustrating what percentages of a company's monthly budget are spent on utilities and other expenses. B) comparing sales totals of three breakfast cereals from 2007 to 2009. C) showing the stages in production of a jet engine. D) depicting links between employees at a large firm. Answer: B Explanation: B) A pie chart is better than a bar chart for showing a budget. A flow chart is better than a bar chart for showing a production process. A wheel chart is best for showing links between people in an organization. Bar charts are best for comparing the sizes of several different items at once, so a bar chart is the best choice for this question. 17) A segmented or stacked bar chart A) shows how individual components contribute to a total number. B) shows the correlation between two items. C) compares quantities that require different intervals. D) identifies positive and negative values. Answer: A Explanation: A) A stacked bar chart is similar to a surface chart. It uses bars to show cumulative contributions of various contributors to a total. The height of the bar represents the cumulative total. Each section of the bar shows the contribution from that contributor. 18) A chart that uses symbols or graphic images instead of words or numbers to portray data is called a A) Gantt chart. B) surface chart. C) combination chart. D) pictogram. Answer: D Explanation: D) A pictogram uses images to represent numeric data. For example, a small Mickey Mouse could be used to represent Disney's sales totals in a bad year. A much larger Mickey would represent the sales totals in a good year. The size or height of each Mickey would be proportional to its numeric value. 19) A Gantt chart is a type of A) pictogram. B) line chart. C) time line chart. D) pie chart. Answer: C Explanation: C) Gantt charts are especially good for showing durations of tasks in a process that requires input from multiple sources working in parallel. Looking at a Gantt chart for a work process you can tell at a glance how work tasks will overlap at various times. For example, in a text book creating process, a Gantt chart might tell you that the editors will be working on Chapter 7 at the same time that writers are working on Chapter 12. 20) To track your team's progress toward completing an important project, you should use A) an organizational chart. B) a Gantt chart. C) a pie chart. D) a pictogram. Answer: B Explanation: B) Of the choices, only a Gantt chart makes sense for tracking a complex task in which many people work on different aspects of a larger whole in parallel with one another. 21) The best way to illustrate what percentage of your firm's annual budget is spent on what would be a A) pie chart. B) line chart. C) organizational chart. D) flowchart. Answer: A Explanation: A) Pie charts are best for showing how parts of a larger whole are distributed. For this reason, pie charts are perfect for budgets, as each slice of the pie shows the relative contribution of that item to the whole. 22) For determining numerical values, pie charts are generally ________ than bar charts or line charts. A) much better B) worse C) about the same D) slightly better Answer: B Explanation: B) It is very difficult to determine a numerical value using a pie chart. In contrast, it is quite easy to read off a value from a well-made bar chart or line chart. 23) Flowcharts are used to A) summarize large amounts of statistical data. B) show the relative sizes of the parts of a whole. C) show how something looks or operates. D) illustrate processes and procedures. Answer: D Explanation: D) A flowchart works best in showing relationships between steps in a process that are not necessarily in a sequential linear order. For example, in a manufacturing process a flowchart can show that any one step in the sequence can feedback to earlier steps and modify their progress. If, for example, a shortage of materials is detected in stage 5, feedback can be sent back to stage 2 to remedy the shortage. 24) The best graphic element to identify the communication channels of an entire business organization is a(n) A) organization chart. B) bar chart. C) scatter diagram. D) Gantt chart. Answer: A Explanation: A) An organization chart shows an entire organizational hierarchy and how different levels and positions within those levels interact with one another. 25) Microsoft Visio is one example of specialized software used to create A) professional-quality illustrations. B) complex spreadsheets. C) cash flow tracking systems. D) none of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) Other popular illustration programs include Adobe Illustrator, Google SketchUp, and Corel Draw. Full-time professionals may use a computer-aided design program, or CAD. 26) CAD stands for A) charts automatically designed. B) complete audiovisual display. C) computer-aided design. D) computer adaptable display. Answer: C Explanation: C) Computer-aided design programs are primarily used by architects and engineers to make such things as blueprint drawings for building plans and scale drawings for engineering equipment. 27) A potential drawback of using photographs in reports is A) that they can show too much detail. B) that they are difficult to change or manipulate. C) that appropriate photos are difficult to find. D) all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) In showing how, for example, an electric razor works, a photo of the razor would show too much detail, confusing the viewer. A diagram might be much more useful for this purpose, showing the important working parts of the razor and leaving out all of the unimportant parts. 28) To use photographs successfully in workplace documents or online publications, do not A) replace all diagrams with photographs. B) master basic image-processing functions. C) determine the communication value of each photograph. D) ) observe copyrights and model permissions. Answer: A Explanation: A) Use a simplified diagram, not a photograph, when you need to emphasize specific parts that are relevant to a specific problem. 29) As a key business skill, visual literacy involves A) being conversant with the latest image-editing software. B) understanding how visual representations have evolved over the ages. C) the ability to create effective visuals and interpret them correctly. D) sharing smartphone photos on social media. Answer: C Explanation: C) Visual literacy is the ability to create and interpret visuals successfully. 30) Using video to enhance business messages A) has become difficult and expensive, since audiences now have such high expectations. B) is generally a bad idea, since it takes away from the main idea. C) is easier than ever, thanks to low-cost video cameras and video sharing sites such as YouTube. D) is effective for tech-savvy audiences, but a turn-off for most others. Answer: C Explanation: C) YouTube now offers branded channels that allow companies to feature all of their videos in a single location. For example, a power tool company might have a branded channel that features how-to videos for using their equipment. 31) When designing important visuals in business, A) include as little text and as many photographs as possible. B) use online clipart to apply a decorative flair to your corporate communications. C) plan on using every color in the rainbow to reach out to the global community. D) consider hiring a professional to design a template for the visuals that represent your company. Answer: D Explanation: D) A professional designer can create a visual template that connects with your viewers and enhances awareness of your brand. 32) In computer graphics, a template A) is a tool for creating curves and geometric shapes. B) helps ensure an effective design, saves time, and makes decision making easier. C) is any kind of chart generated by a spreadsheet or illustration program. D) is a tool for creating classic architectural views. Answer: B Explanation: B) A template can be used over and over again, ensuring company-wide consistency and saving time. Rather than need to make esthetic decisions each time you create a new graphic, just fill in the blanks of the template. 33) The style and quality that you choose for your visuals depends mostly on A) the gender of your audience. B) whether or not your topic is controversial. C) the subject matter and the situation at hand. D) all of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) The situation dictates the type of visuals you should use. A simple diagram may suffice for an informal meeting. A presentation to an industrial society, on the other hand, may require elaborate, full-color, charts, graphs, and photos to make sure your audience fully understands the information you present. 34) The ideal balance between the visual and the verbal depends on A) the nature of your audience. B) the length of the report/presentation. C) the amount of money available for underwriting the costs of graphics. D) internal company guidelines. Answer: A Explanation: A) Each audience responds best to a particular balance and emphasis. A non-English speaking audience, for example, may require extra visuals to get around language barriers. A largely academic audience, in contrast, might respond better to a text-heavy presentation. 35) The reference to a bar chart in your report on advertising costs should A) come directly after the chart itself appears. B) precede the chart. C) come on the page following the chart, and refer to it as "the abovementioned pie chart." D) include copyright information. Answer: B Explanation: B) Readers find it less confusing when an explanation of the visual comes before the visual itself rather than after the visual. Make a concerted effort to avoid having your readers need to flip back and forth between visuals and text, or scroll down awkwardly on a computer screen. Try to place the visual as closely as possible to the text that supports it. 36) In business reports, it is best to place each visual A) within, beside, or immediately after the paragraph it illustrates. B) just before the paragraph referring to it. C) together with other visuals at the end of each chapter. D) together with other visuals in an appendix at the end of the report. Answer: A Explanation: A) The rule of thumb is to place the visual as closely as possible to its supporting text. If text and visual start to get separated, try recasting the section of the document in which they appear to change where pages break and allow the visual and the text to remain together. 37) A ________ offers additional discussion of the content of a visual; a ________ helps readers decode a visual. A) legend; tag cloud B) table; chevron C) caption; legend D) diagram; matrix Answer: C Explanation: C) A caption usually offers additional discussion of a visual's content. A legend helps readers "decode" a visual by explaining the meaning of colors, symbols, or other choices. 38) Which of the following is an example of a descriptive title for a visual? A) How CamCo Reduces Costs B) CamCo Cost Reductions Are Increasing Each Year C) Reducing Costs Is a Number-One Goal at CamCo D) Whither Camco: Is the Rollercoaster Ride Over? Answer: A Explanation: A) A descriptive title simply identifies the topic of the visual. An informative title draws a conclusion about the visual, or points out some key feature of the visual. 39) Legends should be included with A) controversial reports. B) all visuals in business reports. C) complex graphs. D) all of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) Legends are needed whenever a graph is somewhat complex and confusion is likely. For example, when multiple colors are used to represent different data types, those colors should be clearly identified in a legend. 40) When creating visuals, it is highly unethical to A) leave out important information. B) "airbrush" the photos of company executives to make them look more attractive. C) overload your report with unnecessary tables and charts. D) simplify data from other sources. Answer: A Explanation: A) For the sake of design or simplicity, in some visuals key information gets left out of the picture. This can happen deliberately or inadvertently. To make sure that you haven't accidentally created a misleading visual, check your work over after it is finished and ask yourself, "Am I distorting anything or leaving anything out of this graph?" 41) A special class of diagrams called ________ can feature stylized versions of charts and graphs or offer structured narratives. A) informatics B) pictograms C) infographics D) monograms Answer: C Explanation: C) Infographics come in two types: those that are stylized collections of charts and graphs and those that have a structured narrative. 42) The process for producing business videos includes the following three stages: A) planning, writing, and completing. B) casting, filming, and broadcasting. C) visualization, production, and dissemination. D) preproduction, production, and postproduction. Answer: D Explanation: D) By following a methodical process in the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages, any business communicator with basic equipment can create effective videos. 43) The term ________ refers to secondary video clips and still images that can add visual interest to or improve the flow of a business video. A) B-roll material B) A-list material C) shot-list material D) back-up material Answer: A Explanation: A) B-roll is film terminology for extra scenes and images that can enhance the finished product. 44) Best practices during the production stage of a business video do not include A) keeping your camera still. B) capturing B-roll footage. C) framing each shot carefully. D) using special effects on your camera. Answer: D Explanation: D) Export "clean" footage to your editing software and add special effects as needed in postproduction. 45) During the post-production stage of a business video, you can A) add transitions between video segments. B) identify the shots you want to keep and those you want to delete. C) synchronize the main audio track with the video and record narration. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) During the postproduction stage, you can remove clumsy bits of footage, record narration, replace sections of dialogue, and make other fixes. 46) Unlike words, visual images have connotative meanings that are consistent across cultures. Answer: False Explanation: Visual images evolve over time and have different meanings in different cultures. 47) Including visuals in your report or presentation is a particularly powerful way to communicate with a culturally diverse audience. Answer: True Explanation: Visuals come in especially handy when you are trying to communicate with others who don't share your language. Using a graphic or photo to express an idea in this situation, rather than words, can be extremely useful. 48) Poorly planned visuals are often more noticeable than grammatical errors in the text of your report. Answer: True Explanation: Because visuals take up more room on the page and are much more conspicuous than text, a mistake in a visual can have a much greater impact than a text mistake. 49) According to the concept of visual symbolism, many shapes and colors have the same meaning, across a wide variety of cultures. Answer: False Explanation: Many colors, shapes, and other design elements have visual symbolism, and their symbolic, connotative meaning can evolve over time and mean different things in different cultures. 50) In business presentations, maintaining consistency among your visuals is less important than impressing the audience with a wide range of special effects. Answer: False Explanation: Too many visual effects tend to clutter the page and cancel one another out. Balance, proportion, and consistency are much more important for visual success than visual effects. 51) The more decorative elements you can add to a graphic, the more interesting and useful it will be to the audience. Answer: False Explanation: Adding decorative elements is a form of chartjunk that needlessly clutters visuals and gets in the way of effective design. Good design never includes elements that are purely decorative. 52) Altering the horizontal or vertical scale on a line graph can profoundly influence your audience's perception of the data you present. Answer: True Explanation: For example, changing a vertical percentage scale to show only the top twenty percent of the scale instead of the entire range from 0 percent to 100 percent can make fairly minor fluctuations in data look enormous. This strategy would be used by an artist who wanted to dramatize the element of change in the data. In many cases, this kind of manipulation is unethical, because it distorts the meaning of the data. 53) Use a table to summarize information that would be difficult or tedious to handle in the main text. Answer: True Explanation: Tables are the best choice when the actual values of the data are important for users to obtain. For example, in a federal tax table, users need to be able to look up the exact amount they must pay according to their taxable income. So they just find their taxable income in one column of the table, then read off the taxable amount in a second column. 54) Infographics are limited to showing stylized versions of charts and graphs. Answer: False Explanation: Infographics can offer not only stylized graphics but also structured narratives. 55) When preparing numerical tables, you should express all items in a column in the same unit. Answer: True Explanation: Changing units within a single column could be confusing or even misleading to the reader. 56) In line charts showing trends, the vertical axis indicates time or quantity, and the horizontal axis indicates amount. Answer: False Explanation: The convention in line charts is for the horizontal axis always to show a unit of time, such as years, days, or minutes. Some line charts don't include a time element; in that case, either variable can be located on the horizontal axis. 57) Generally speaking, a line chart should not contain more than 2-3 lines for comparison. Answer: True Explanation: One of the best features of a line graph is its ability to show how different variables change over time. However, the graphs become confusing and hard to read if more than two or three variables are graphed on the same axes. 58) The edge of the bottom section of a surface chart shows the cumulative total for all of the categories. Answer: False Explanation: The top edge of the top section shows the cumulative total for all categories. 59) Bar charts can be used to compare more than one set of data. Answer: True Explanation: For example, in comparing yearly sales of three different brands of cereal, each brand can be represented by a separate bar. 60) The deviation bar chart shows variation for a variable over time. Answer: True Explanation: For example, a deviation bar chart for daily weather might show a bar that extends from the high to the low temperature for the day. Between that high and low, a single bar would mark the average temperature for the day. 61) Bars in a bar chart should always be aligned horizontally. Answer: False Explanation: Bars can be aligned vertically or horizontally. There is no set format for bar charts. Bar charts are the most versatile type of chart. 62) A Gantt chart is a type of time line chart used to track the progress of a project. Answer: True Explanation: Gantt charts are especially good for showing durations of tasks in a process that requires input from multiple sources working in parallel. Looking at the chart you can tell at a glance how work will overlap at various times. 63) A pie chart would provide an effective visual to illustrate how an employee's time is divided among different tasks throughout the week. Answer: True Explanation: Pie charts are best for showing how the parts of a whole compare to the whole itself. The size of each "slice" of the pie shows how large that category is compared to the whole. 64) Data visualization is focused on extracting broad meaning from data (rather than on clarifying individual data points). Answer: True Explanation: The point of data visualization isn't so much representing individual data points as it is conveying the "meaning" of the data. When data visualization is done well, you are able to draw an instant conclusion from viewing the graphic, such as, "Too much money is being spent on overhead," or "Sales doubled over the last three months." 65) If you want to illustrate a process or procedure, the best type of visual to use is a flowchart. Answer: True Explanation: A flowchart works best in showing relationships between steps in a complex process, such as a manufacturing process, that are not necessarily in a sequential linear order. 66) On a flowchart, diamonds indicate decision points. Answer: True Explanation: In a flowchart, diamonds represent decision points, while rectangles show process steps. 67) Drawings, diagrams, and photographs are generally not helpful in business documents. Answer: False Explanation: Visuals of all types, when chosen well and implemented skillfully, can enhance the effectiveness of a business document immensely. 68) Because of the costs of reproduction, photographs are usually not used in business reports. Answer: False Explanation: Costs to reproduce photographs are virtually zero in today's all-digital world. Companies can include photographs that they have taken themselves with almost no cost. Permissions can be costly, so business reports tend to use in-house photos more than purchased photos. 69) Using an informative title for a visual, such as "Demand Grows Exponentially," will make it easier for your audience to understand the main idea depicted in that visual. Answer: True Explanation: If a visual has an informative title, the audience won't have to interpret the visual to extract its main idea. 70) In the text of a report, only the most important visuals should be referred to by number. Answer: False Explanation: If one visual in the document is referred to by number, all of the visuals should be included in the number scheme, whether they are considered "important" or not. 71) The best place to put a visual is right next to or immediately following the paragraph it illustrates. Answer: True Explanation: The worst place to put a visual is a page or more before or after it is referred to in the text. This causes the reader to need to flip back and forth between the text and the visual, something that most people find irritating. 72) A basic principle of design is to maintain ________ or visual parallelism among all the visuals in a document. Answer: consistency Explanation: An example of visual parallelism is to put the main text of a document to one side of the page, and leave a small column on the outside of the page empty for comments, graphs, or other visual elements. 73) ________ refers to decorative elements that clutter documents without adding any relevant information. Answer: Chartjunk Explanation: Any visual element that is purely decorative is considered chartjunk and should be left out of the graphic. 74) A(n) ________ chart specializes in showing how a variable changes over time. Answer: line Explanation: Typically, the horizontal axis for a line chart is a unit of time—years, days, hours, and so on. Line charts can also plot a non-time variable on the horizontal axis. 75) A(n) ________ is a poor choice for noticing mathematical trends. Answer: table Explanation: It is very difficult to see trends in a table that is filled with data points that are represented either by number values or words. To see relationships in a table that contains numbers, you need to estimate relationships between values. 76) ________ charts are a form of line chart with a cumulative effect; all the lines add up to the top line. Answer: Surface Explanation: At any point on the top edge of a surface chart you can get a measure of the cumulative total of the variable on the vertical axis. 77) A(n) ________ chart can take several forms including grouped, deviation, segmented, combination, or paired. Answer: bar Explanation: Bar charts are the most versatile form of chart. Bar charts can be constructed in dozens of different ways to emphasize different aspects of a data set. 78) A(n) ________ is a type of chart that uses symbols instead of words or numbers to portray data. Answer: pictogram Explanation: The symbols in a pictogram represent data. The larger the symbol, the greater the value of the data point. 79) A(n) ________ chart shows how much time is needed to complete each task in a given project. Answer: time line Explanation: A time line chart shows time needed to complete a single task. 80) A(n) ________ chart is a type of time line chart used to track progress toward completing a project. Answer: Gantt Explanation: A Gantt chart is essentially a series of time line charts all expressed in the same graph with a single horizontal axis expressing time. 81) The most difficult chart to use to collect numerical data from is the ________ chart. Answer: pie Explanation: It is almost impossible to collect numerical values from a pie chart. If the pie is split in half, you can tell that half of the circle represents 50 percent of the total. Any other value can only be guessed at. 82) To illustrate the positions, units, or functions of an organization and the way they interrelate, use a(n) ________ chart. Answer: organization Explanation: An organization chart works like a flowchart to depict relationships between individuals and levels in a company or organization. For example, an organization chart for the United States government would start with three boxes on top showing the president, Congress, and Supreme Court. 83) A(n) ________ title on a graphic simply identifies the topic. Answer: descriptive Explanation: An example of a descriptive title is: "Supply Versus Cost for Oil, 2009." The title identifies the topic, but it doesn't make a comment on the topic. 84) A(n) ________ title calls attention to the conclusion that ought to be drawn from the data. Answer: informative Explanation: An example of an informative title is: "Cost of Oil Rises as Supply Decreases, 2009." The title not only identifies the topic, it also tells comments on trends that seem evident in graph. 85) Along with the title of a visual, the ________ offers additional discussion of the visual's content and can be several sentences long. Answer: caption Explanation: Captions may point out some special feature in the visual. For example, the caption for a photograph of a chemical plant might say: "The container on the right is used as a fermentation tank." 86) What is "chartjunk"? Answer: "Chartjunk" refers to any decorative elements that clutter documents (and confuse readers) without adding any relevant information. 87) Briefly describe one way that visuals can be designed to emphasize or deemphasize certain aspects of the data they present. Answer: You can emphasize or deemphasize certain aspects of data in visual aids by altering the horizontal or vertical scale on a chart or graph or by manipulating the perspective a photograph provides on an object. 88) List at least five types of visuals commonly used to present data in business documents. Provide an example of a specific task for which one type would be especially useful. Answer: (1) Tables, (2) line charts, (3) surface charts, (4) bar charts, (5) pictograms, (6) Gantt charts, (7) Scatter and bubble diagrams, and (8) pie charts. A bar chart would be helpful for comparing the retail cost of several hybrid automobiles. 89) In a line chart, what do the vertical and horizontal axes normally illustrate? Answer: The vertical axis normally shows the amount, and the horizontal axis illustrates the time or other quantity against which the amount is being measured. 90) In designing visuals for business reports, what tasks are best suited for bar charts? List at least two. Answer: Bar charts are particularly useful for comparing the size of several items at one time, showing changes in one item over time, indicating the composition of several items over time, and showing the relative size of components of a whole. 91) How are Gantt charts used in business documents? Answer: Gantt charts are used to track progress toward completing a project. 92) In preparing a presentation for a local community group, you need to describe the process your plant uses to manufacture home appliances. What type of visual should you use to describe the process, and why? Answer: A flowchart would be best in this case, since it is the visual aid designed to illustrate a sequence of events from start to finish. 93) List two ways that including too many visuals can distract your audience from the main points of your message. Answer: (1) Along with constantly referring to tables, drawings, and other visual elements, switching back and forth from words to visuals can make it difficult for readers to follow your message. (2) The space occupied by visuals can disrupt the flow of text on the page or screen, which also creates additional work for the reader. 94) Briefly explain the difference between descriptive titles and informative titles for visuals, and provide an example of each. Answer: Informative titles do more than simply identify the topic of the illustration. "Annual Spending" would be a descriptive title, whereas "Annual Spending Increases Despite Flagging Economy" would be an informative title. (Answers will vary.) Descriptive Titles and Informative Titles serve different purposes for visuals, and understanding their distinctions can enhance the effectiveness of your communication. Descriptive Titles Definition: Descriptive titles provide a straightforward, often literal description of what the visual depicts. They focus on summarizing the content or main elements of the visual. Example: For a bar chart showing sales figures for different products, a descriptive title might be: • "Sales Figures for Different Products in Q1 2024" Informative Titles Definition: Informative titles not only describe what the visual shows but also provide context or insight into its significance. They aim to convey the main message or takeaway of the visual. Example: For the same bar chart, an informative title might be: • "Top Performing Products in Q1 2024: Insights into Sales Trends" Summary: • Descriptive Title: Focuses on what the visual shows. • Informative Title: Highlights the key message or insight from the visual. 95) What three questions should you ask in verifying the quality of the visuals you include in business messages? Answer: (1) Is the visual accurate? (2) Is the visual properly documented? and (3) Is the visual honest? 96) Define and explain the "visual evolution in business communication." Answer: Several technological and social factors are contributing to the increasing use—and importance—of visuals in business communication. Whereas creating and working with visual elements used to be the domain of experts, digital technology has changed this situation dramatically. Digital cameras that can produce high-quality images and video are inexpensive and easy enough for anyone to use; the software needed to create diagrams, process photos, edit video, and prepare other visual elements continues to get both easier and more powerful all the time; the global reach of the Internet makes it easy to send images almost instantly; and more Internet users have high-speed connections that can handle the larger computer files that visuals tend to require. Design and production tasks that used to take days can now be completed in hours or even minutes. As technologies such as wireless networking continue to advance, business communicators will continue to reach wider audiences in less time, using equipment that costs less and requires fewer skills. 97) Discuss six principles to keep in mind when designing visuals regarding the aesthetic and symbolic aspects of graphic art. Answer: (1) Consistency: Readers view a series of visuals as a whole, assuming that design elements will be consistent from one page to the next. (2) Contrast: Visual distinctions should match verbal ones. To emphasize differences, depict items in contrasting colors, such as red and blue, or black and white. To emphasize similarities, make color difference more subtle. (3) Balance: Images that appear to be out of balance can be as unsettling as a building that looks like it's about to tip over. Balance can be either formal, in which the elements in the images are arranged symmetrically around a central point or axis, or informal, in which elements are not distributed evenly but stronger and weaker elements are arranged in such a way that achieves an overall effect of balance. (4) Emphasis: The most important point should receive the greatest visual emphasis, so present the key item on the chart in the most prominent way—through color, position, size, or whatever. Visually downplay less important items. (5) Convention: Visual communication is governed by a variety of generally accepted (and deeply ingrained) rules. Flouting those conventions can be effective, but must be done carefully in order to avoid breakdowns in communications. (6) Simplicity: Limit the number of colors and design elements you use, and take care to avoid chartjunk. 98) What are the "five Cs" to consider when you're deciding which points to illustrate with visuals? Answer: (1) Clear: The human mind is extremely adept at processing visual information, so if you're having difficultly conveying an idea in words, take a minute to brainstorm some visual possibilities. (2) Complete: Visuals, particularly tables, often serve to provide the supporting details for your main idea or recommendation. (3) Concise: If a particular section of your message seems to require extensive description or explanation, see whether there's a way to convey this information visually. (4) Connected: Whenever you want readers to see key connections, see whether a chart, diagram, or other illustration can help. (5) Compelling: Even if a particular point can be expressed equally well via text or visuals, consider adding the visual in order to make your report or presentation more compelling. 99) Identify and discuss the four elements of the production stage for business videos. Answer: These four tips will help you collect great footage during the production stage: (1) Frame each shot carefully. Framing refers to the decisions you make about what the camera sees and doesn't see when you aim it. Remember this: even though the viewer sees everything the camera sees, he or she sees only what the camera sees. (2) Keep the camera still. Shaky video from a handheld camera is uncomfortable to watch, so whenever possible, use a tripod or other stabilizing arrangement. (3) Take B-roll footage. In addition to the B-roll shots you planned in preproduction, keep an eye out for other interesting scenes and images that might enhance the finished video. (4) Don't use the special effects in your camera when filming. Doing so will alter the video permanently. Instead, export "clean" footage to your editing software and add effects in postproduction. 100) Explain "data visualization" and give at least one example to support your explanation. Answer: Data visualization refers to a diverse class of display capabilities designed to overcome the drawbacks of conventional charts and graphs. It is less about clarifying individual data points and more about extracting broad meaning from large masses of data or putting the data in context. Most types of conventional visuals can show only a limited number of data points, cannot illustrate complex relationships among those data points, and can represent numeric data only. Data visualization tools are not limited by these constraints. For example, "friend wheels" on Facebook offer a visual sense of a user's network by showing which of his or her friends are friends of each other and thereby indicating "clustering" within the network. Another example of data visualization is the "tag cloud," which shows the relative frequency of terms, or tags, in an article, a blog, a website, survey data, or another collection of text. Test Bank for Business Communication Today Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill 9780132971294, 9780134562186, 9780135900239, 9780132539555
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