conversation2e

Consider Illustrations

A growing number of documents are using illustrations — photographs and other images, charts, graphs, tables, animations, audio clips, and video clips — in addition to text. Illustrations are typically used to demonstrate or emphasize a point, help readers better understand a point, clarify or simplify the presentation of a complex concept, or increase the visual appeal of a document. Illustrations can also serve as a form of argument by presenting a surprising or even shocking set of statistics or setting an emotional tone. As you read, be aware of the types of illustrations and the effects they produce. The types of illustrations you are likely to encounter include the following:

Photographs and images. Photographs and other images, such as drawings, paintings, and sketches, are frequently used to set a mood, emphasize a point, or demonstrate a point more fully than is possible with text alone.
Charts and graphs. Charts and graphs provide a visual representation of information. They are typically used to present numerical information more succinctly than is possible with text alone or to present complex information in a compact and more accessible form.
Tables. Tables provide categorical lists of information. Like charts and graphs, they are typically used to make a point more succinctly than is possible with text alone or to present complex information in a compact form. Tables are frequently used to illustrate contrasts among groups, relationships among variables (such as income, educational attainment, and voting preferences), or change over time (such as growth in population during the past century).
Digital illustrations. Digital documents, such as PowerPoint presentations, Web pages, and word-processing documents intended for reading on computers, tablets, or phones, can include a wider range of illustrations than print documents can. Illustrations such as audio, video, and animations differ from photographs, images, charts, graphs, and tables in that they don’t just appear on the page — they do things.

You can read more about the uses of illustrations in Chapter 16.