Module 25

Module 25 discusses using visuals.  In the module, the reasons for using visuals is listed.  These include seeing that ideas are presented completely, to find relationships, to make points vivid, to emphasize material, to present material more compactly and with less repetition, and to focus on information that decision makers need.  Visuals can help greatly with getting the exact point that you are trying to make across to your audience.  The module also discusses that using a title for your visual should explain a story, instead of just listing what you are looking at.  Instead of saying what the chart or graph is showing, you should say what it is explaining, as in an increase or decrease of some kind, or to display the type of difference or change that the graph shows.  The module explains how to find stories, and that would be through focusing on a topic, simplifying the data, as well as looking for relationships and changes between the data.  The module also explains the different types of visuals, those being tables, pie charts, bar charts, or line graphs.  Tables are used when the reader needs to be able to focus on relationships.  Pie charts are used when you are comparing a part to a whole, and bar charts and line graphs are used to compare one item to another item or items over time.  The module also talks about six key components of a graph, including a title that tells a story, a clear indication of what the data are, clearly labeled units, labels or legends identifying axes, colors, etc., the source of the data, as well as the source of the visual if it was taken from somewhere else. 

The most important thing that I learned from the module was about telling a story in the title of your visual.  It is a lot more eye catching when something extreme is said than just saying what the chart or graph shows.  When explaining to in depth, you can sometimes lose your audience's attention.  It is very important to keep their attention and using visuals is a great way to do so.