04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 51
Notes to Chapter FiveNotes to Chapter FiveEnglish 308
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 52
Text FieldsText Fields
Can be defined as “a distinguishable area of visual interest or attention”
And can be thought of as paragraphs, series of paragraphs, pages, panels, screens, and other surfaces
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 53
It is not just a pageIt is not just a page
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 54
It is not just a pageIt is not just a page
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 55
Access to Information in a FieldAccess to Information in a Field
Can be enhanced by visual cues in Textual: headings, numbers, lettersSpatial: paragraph blocks, lists, columnsGraphic: bullets, shading, lines
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 56
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Textual ElementsTextual ElementsHeadings: a road map that guides readers through a textSome conventional formats
Centered Flush Left Run-in Marginal Columns
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 57
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Textual ElementsTextual ElementsNumbers and Letters Breaks text into lists Hierarchically arranges text using a scheme, such
as I. First Part A. First Subpart 1. First sub-subpart
Or 1.0 First Part
1.1 First subpart 1.1.1 First sub-subpart
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 58
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsBreaking text into listsYou won't be able to check for everything (and you don't have to), so you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually. Here's how. Find out what errors you typically make. Review instructors' comments about your writing and/or review your paper(s) with a tutor. Learn how to fix those errors. Talk with your instructor and/or with a tutor. The instructor and the tutor can help you understand why you make the errors you do so that you can learn to avoid them. Use specific strategies. Use these strategies to find and correct your particular errors in usage and sentence structure, and spelling and punctuation.
You won't be able to check for everything (and you don't have to), so you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually. Here's how:
1. Find out what errors you typically make. Review instructors' comments about your writing and/or review your paper(s) with a tutor.
2. Learn how to fix those errors. Talk with your instructor and/or with a tutor. The instructor and the tutor can help you understand why you make the errors you do so that you can learn to avoid them.
3. Use specific strategies. Use these strategies to find and correct your particular errors in usage and sentence structure, and spelling and punctuation.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 59
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsBreaking text into lists
An outline has a balanced structure based on parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.
An outline has a balanced structure based on the following principles: Parallelism Coordination Subordination Division
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 510
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsAdjusting Leading
1-point Lab Reports are one of the most common writing formats for engineering students. They should have enough detail so that someone else may replicate your work and have the same results. A lab report summarizes, in detail, what the student learned after completing an experiment or procedure.
2-point Lab Reports are one of the most common writing formats for engineering students. They should have enough detail so that someone else may replicate your work and have the same results. A lab report summarizes, in detail, what the student learned after completing an experiment or procedure.
3-point Lab Reports are one of the most common writing formats for engineering students. They should have enough detail so that someone else may replicate your work and have the same results. A lab report summarizes, in detail, what the student learned after completing an experiment or procedure.
4-point Lab Reports are one of the most common writing formats for engineering students. They should have enough detail so that someone else may replicate your work and have the same results. A lab report summarizes, in detail, what the student learned after completing an experiment or procedure.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 511
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsJustified Text
Ragged Right The lab report format is used in industry with minor variations to report on equipment analysis, feasibility studies, and original research done for the corporation. Once you are comfortable with writing a lab report, you will have one more skill that to use throughout your engineering career.
Lab Reports are one of the most common writing formats for engineering students. They should have enough detail so that someone else may replicate your work and have the same results. A lab report summarizes, in detail, what the student learned after completing an experiment or procedure.
Justified The lab report format is used in industry with minor variations to report on equipment analysis, feasibility studies, and original research done for the corporation. Once you are comfortable with writing a lab report, you will have one more skill that to use throughout your engineering career.
Lab Reports are one of the most common writing formats for engineering students. They should have enough detail so that someone else may replicate your work and have the same results. A lab report summarizes, in detail, what the student learned after completing an experiment or procedure.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 512
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsColumns
Scientific research is a group activity. Individual scientists perform experiments to test hypotheses about phenomena. After experiments are completed and duplicated, researchers attempt to persuade others to accept or reject their hypotheses by presenting the data and their interpretations. The lab report or the scientific paper is the vehicle of persuasion; when it is published, it is available to other scientists for review. If the results stand up to criticism, they become part of the accepted body of scientific knowledge unless later disproved.
In some cases, a report may not be persuasive in nature but instead is an archival record for future generations. For example, data on the distribution and frequency of rabid skunks in a certain year may be of use to future epidemiologists in deciding whether the incidence of rabies is increasing.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 513
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsColumns
Scientific research is a group activity. Individual scientists perform experiments to test hypotheses about phenomena. After experiments are completed and duplicated, researchers attempt to persuade others to accept or reject their hypotheses by presenting the data and their interpretations. The lab report or the scientific paper is the vehicle of persuasion; when it is published, it is available to other scientists for review. If the results stand up to criticism, they become part of the accepted body of
scientific knowledge unless later disproved.
In some cases, a report may not be persuasive in nature but instead is an archival record for future generations. For example, data on the distribution and frequency of rabid skunks in a certain year may be of use to future epidemiologists in deciding whether the incidence of rabies is increasing.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 514
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsColumns (Mixed)
Scientific research is a group activity. Individual scientists perform experiments to test hypotheses about phenomena. After experiments are completed and duplicated, researchers attempt to persuade others to accept or reject their hypotheses by presenting the data and their interpretations. The lab report or the scientific paper is the vehicle of persuasion; when it is published, it is available to other scientists for review. If the results stand up to criticism, they become part of the accepted body of scientific knowledge unless later disproved.
In some cases, a report may not be persuasive in nature but instead is an archival record for future generations. For example, data on the distribution and frequency of rabid skunks in a certain year may be of use to future epidemiologists in deciding whether the incidence of rabies is increasing.
A scientific report usually consists of the following: 1. Title 2. Abstract 3. Introduction 4. Materials and methods 5. Results 6. Discussion 7. Literature cited
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 515
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsField Grids—Two Column Grids
A scientific report usually consists of the following: 1. Title 2. Abstract
Scientific research is a group activity. Individual scientists perform experiments to test hypotheses about phenomena. After experiments are completed and duplicated, researchers attempt to persuade others to accept or reject their hypotheses by presenting the data and their interpretations. The lab report or the scientific paper is
3. Introduction 4. Materials and methods 5. Results 6. Discussion 7. Literature cited
the vehicle of persuasion; when it is published, it is available to other scientists for review. If the results stand up to criticism, they become part of the accepted body of scientific knowledge unless later disproved.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 516
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Spatial ElementsSpatial ElementsField Grids—Two Column Grids
Scientific research is a group activity. Individual scientists perform experiments to test hypotheses about phenomena. After experiments are completed and duplicated, researchers attempt to persuade others to accept or reject their hypotheses by presenting the data and their interpretations. The lab report or the scientific paper is
A scientific report usually consists of the following: 1. Title 2. Abstract 3. Introduction 4. Materials and methods 5. Results 6. Discussion 7. Literature cited
the vehicle of persuasion; when it is published, it is available to other scientists for review. If the results stand up to criticism, they become part of the accepted body of scientific knowledge unless later disproved.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 517
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Graphic ElementsGraphic ElementsBullets and Other Highlighting Cues (from ITC Zapf Dingbats)
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 518
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Graphic ElementsGraphic ElementsLines (Varying line widths)
1 point2 point3 point4 point5 point6 point
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 519
Conventions of Text Fields—Conventions of Text Fields—Graphic ElementsGraphic ElementsShading—measured as a gray-scale percentage ranging from 1 to 100 percent
text text text text text text text text text
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 10
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 520
Applying the Cognate StrategiesApplying the Cognate Strategies
How do we apply this rich visual vocabulary to text fields?
We can do so by considering the six cognate strategies.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 521
Arrangement QuestionsArrangement Questions
How can I use the visual structure of the field to map the text for my readers?
Will visual hierarchy of the text field help?What text field conventions—headings,
columns, lists—might best suit this situation?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 522
Arrangement StrategiesArrangement Strategies
Headings—order and chunk text but also provide easy access to specific parts
Lists and columns—can improve legibility and communicate logical relationships
Bullets and linework can create arrangement strategies
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 523
Arrangement Strategies (cont.)Arrangement Strategies (cont.)
The Research Process
Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic
The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives. As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Search Words
Before you start a subject or keyword search on any of the on-line databases, you should work up a list of terms that may be relevant to your particular research project. The wrong keyword (or a misspelled one) can frustrate any project.
The Research ProcessResearch papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a TopicThe topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives.
As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Search Words
Before you start a subject or keyword search on any of the on-line databases, you should work up a list of terms that may be relevant to your particular research project. The wrong keyword (or a misspelled one) can frustrate any project.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 524
Emphasis QuestionsEmphasis Questions
What part of the field do I want readers to notice first?
What parts should be emphasized to improve readers’ understanding or draw readers in?
When text and visuals appear in the same field, which needs greater prominence?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 525
Emphasis StrategiesEmphasis Strategies
Vary type sizeIncrease figure-ground contrastIsolate textPlacement on page affects emphasisBreak text out into lists
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 526
Emphasis Strategies: Emphasis Strategies: Marginal HeadingsMarginal Headings
The Research Process
Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic
The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives. As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Search Words
Before you start a subject or keyword search on any of the on-line databases, you should work up a list of terms that may be relevant to your particular research project. The wrong keyword (or a misspelled one) can frustrate any project.
The Research Process Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives.
As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 527
Emphasis Strategies: Emphasis Strategies: Pull QuotesPull Quotes
The Research Process
Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic
The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives. As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Search Words
Before you start a subject or keyword search on any of the on-line databases, you should work up a list of terms that may be relevant to your particular research project. The wrong keyword (or a misspelled one) can frustrate any project.
The Research Process Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives.
As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what
you think about the topic at the
beginning of the process.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 528
Emphasis Strategies: Emphasis Strategies: Placement Affects EmphasisPlacement Affects EmphasisThis stuff is
more likely to
be noticed
than this
stuff.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 529
Emphasis Strategies:Emphasis Strategies:ListingListing
Although the five-paragraph essay format does provide a basic organizational structure, there are many potential problems. For example, most newspaper editorials, magazine essays, scholarly articles, and other examples of writing of this general type don’t have five paragraphs. The reader usually needs some sort of context for the thesis, some idea of why he or she should be interested in reading about this now. In general this format doesn’t do much to engage the reader. Such essays are usually too short to require a summary at the end. The summary repeats ideas that the reader has just read about and hasn’t had time to forget. The format encourages too much repetition—often the same three phrases are repeated in the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion. The reader gets bored. If you follow this format too strictly, you are letting the form generate the content. In other words, you are putting far more emphasis on how you organize the content than on what you want to say, the purpose you have in mind, and what your readers need.
Although the five-paragraph essay format does provide a basic organizationalstructure, there are many potential problems. To list a few: Most newspaper editorials, magazine essays, scholarly articles, and other
examples of writing of this general type don’t have five paragraphs.
The reader usually needs some sort of context for the thesis, some idea of why he or she should be interested in reading about this now. In general this format doesn’t do much to engage the reader.
Such essays are usually too short to require a summary at the end. The summary repeats ideas that the reader has just read about and hasn’t had time to forget.
The format encourages too much repetition—often the same three phrases are repeated in the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion. The reader gets bored.
If you follow this format too strictly, you are letting the form generate the content. In other words, you are putting far more emphasis on how you organize the content than on what you want to say, the purpose you have in mind, and what your readers need.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 530
Clarity QuestionsClarity Questions
What design choices can I make to ensure that readers understand the message, line by line, paragraph by paragraph, or field by field?
What kinds of field designs are my readers used to?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 531
Clarity StrategiesClarity Strategies
WatchLine lengthsLeadingJustified TextVisual Clutter
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 532
Clarity Strategies (cont.)Clarity Strategies (cont.)
Line lengths that are too short or too long can erode clarity
Justified text can produce irregular spacing
Contrary to what many students believe, there is no rule that says that a college essay, or any other kind of essay, must have five paragraphs and five paragraphs only. Paragraph divisions perform two functions: 1) they help the reader understand the text by organizing it into groups of ideas that work together, and 2) they help the eye return to the proper place in the text after looking away for a brief moment. A text without enough breaks is difficult to read because you keep losing your place.
Contrary to what many students believe, there is no rule that says that a college essay, or any other kind of essay, must have five paragraphs and five paragraphs only. Paragraph divisions perform two functions: 1) they help the reader understand the text by organizing it into groups of ideas that work together, and 2) they help the eye return to the proper place in the text after looking away for a brief moment. A text without enough breaks is difficult to read because you keep losing your place.
Contrary to what many students believe, there is no rule that says that a college essay, or any other kind of essay, must have five paragraphs and five paragraphs only. Paragraph divisions perform two functions: 1) they help the reader understand the text by organizing it into groups of ideas that work together, and 2) they help the eye return to the proper place in the text after looking away for a brief moment. A text without enough breaks is difficult to read because you keep losing your place.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 533
Clarity Strategies (cont.)Clarity Strategies (cont.)
The longer the line, the more attention you must give to leading
Contrary to what many students believe, there is no rule that says that a college essay, or any other kind of essay, must have five paragraphs and five paragraphs only. Paragraph divisions perform two functions: 1) they help the reader understand the text by organizing it into groups of ideas that work together, and 2) they help the eye return to the proper place in the text after looking away for a brief moment. L
Contrary to what many students believe, there is no rule that says that a college essay, or any other kind of essay, must have five paragraphs and five paragraphs only. Paragraph divisions perform two functions: 1) they help the reader understand the text by organizing it into groups of ideas that work together, and 2) they help the eye return to the proper place in the text after looking away for a brief moment.
Contrary to what many students believe, there is no rule that says that a college essay, or any other kind of essay, must have five paragraphs and five paragraphs only. Paragraph divisions perform two functions: 1) they help the reader understand the text by organizing it into groups of ideas that work together, and 2) they help the eye return to the proper place in the text after looking away for a brief moment.
1 pt leading
2 pt leading
1 pt leading but shorter
lines
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 534
Conciseness QuestionsConciseness Questions
How can I get the most impact for the least design?
How can I avoid over-designing the field?If I decide to embellish the field, does that
embellishment do enough rhetorical work to justify itself?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 535
Conciseness StrategiesConciseness Strategies
Headings affect concisenessLeading affects concisenessColumns and margin width affect
concisnessUse of graphic elements affects
conciseness
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 536
Conciseness Strategies: Conciseness Strategies: Headings Affect ConcisenessHeadings Affect Conciseness
The Research Process
Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic
The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives. As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples: Should smoking be legal in the United States? Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty? Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Search Words
Before you start a subject or keyword search on any of the on-line databases, you should work up a list of terms that may be relevant to your particular research project. The wrong keyword (or a misspelled one) can frustrate any project. Because the assignment this time requires that the topic focus on a person, event, issue or problem mentioned in one of the articles from the syllabus, this core article should be a good source of possible search terms. Any subsequent article you find may also be a source for new search terms. As the research process goes on, your searches should become more specific.
The Research Process Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives.
As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 537
Conciseness Strategies:Conciseness Strategies:Leading Affects ConcisenessLeading Affects Conciseness1-pt leading
The process of language acquisition begins when we are born (or perhaps even before) and continues throughout our lives. We acquire words, grammatical forms, and syntactic structures from our social environment and later, from reading. Research has shown that writing skills, and the acquisition of written language, depend to a large extent on the amount and type of reading that an individual does. Sometimes when an individual becomes so involved with work and family that there is no time left for reading, language development, especially vocabulary acquisition, stops. If an individual in this situation finds it necessary to improve language skills, some sort of reading program is essential.
3-pt leading
The process of language acquisition begins when we are born (or perhaps even before) and continues throughout our lives. We acquire words, grammatical forms, and syntactic structures from our social environment and later, from reading. Research has shown that writing skills, and the acquisition of written language, depend to a large extent on the amount and type of reading that an individual does. Sometimes when an individual becomes so involved with work and family that there is no time left for reading, language development, especially vocabulary acquisition, stops. If an individual in this situation finds it necessary to improve language skills, some sort of reading program is essential.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 538
Conciseness Strategies: Conciseness Strategies: Overuse of Graphic ElementsOveruse of Graphic Elements
Types of Reading There are a number of types of reading and reading strategies. Reading for total comprehension is usually appropriate only for classroom study or in crucial business and technical situations. Scanning for specific information, and skimming for general ideas are important skills that also contribute to language development. Vocabulary Development Vocabulary development is probably the most obvious benefit of reading. Every individual has both a passive and an active vocabulary.
Your active vocabulary consists of words you know and use. Your passive vocabulary includes those words you understand in context but do not use.
Dictionary Use Dictionaries are an important resource, but many people overuse them. In general, looking up words in a dictionary disrupts your natural reading process. When reading, you should look up a word only when you can't make sense of the article without it.
Types of Reading There are a number of types of reading and reading strategies. Reading for total comprehension is usually appropriate only for classroom study or in crucial business and technical situations. Scanning for specific information, and skimming for general ideas are important skills that also contribute to language development. Vocabulary Development Vocabulary development is probably the most obvious benefit of reading. Every individual has both a passive and an active vocabulary.
Your active vocabulary consists of words you know and use. Your passive vocabulary includes those words you understand in context but do not use.
Dictionary Use Dictionaries are an important resource, but many people overuse them. In general, looking up words in a dictionary disrupts your natural reading process. When reading, you should look up a word only when you can't make sense of the article without it.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 539
Tone QuestionsTone Questions
How do I want the tone of the text field to sound to my readers: serious, friendly, formal, personable, low-key, energetic, technical?
Which of these voices is appropriate for viewers in this field?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 540
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:Formal and InformalFormal and Informal
Formal
Begin in the MiddleStart writing at whatever point you like. If you want to begin in the middle, fine. Leave the introduction or first section until later. The reader will never know that you wrote the paper "backwards." Besides, some writers routinely save the introduction until later when they have a clearer idea of what the main idea and purpose will be.
Less formal
Begin in the MiddleStart writing at whatever point you like. If you want to begin in the middle, fine. Leave the introduction or first section until later. The reader will never know that you wrote the paper "backwards." Besides, some writers routinely save the introduction until later when they have a clearer idea of what the main idea and purpose will be.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 541
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:Formal and InformalFormal and Informal
Less formal
Begin in the MiddleStart writing at whatever point you like. If you want to begin in the middle, fine. Leave the introduction or first section until later. The reader will never know that you wrote the paper "backwards." Besides, some writers routinely save the introduction until later when they have a clearer idea of what the main idea and purpose will be.
Less formal
Begin in the MiddleStart writing at whatever point you like. If you want to begin in the middle, fine. Leave the introduction or first section until later. The reader will never know that you wrote the paper "backwards." Besides, some writers routinely save the introduction until later when they have a clearer idea of what the main idea and purpose will be.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 542
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:Formal and InformalFormal and Informal
Less formal
Begin in the MiddleStart writing at whatever point you like. If you want to begin in the middle, fine. Leave the introduction or first section until later. The reader will never know that you wrote the paper "backwards." Besides, some writers routinely save the introduction until later when they have a clearer idea of what the main idea and purpose will be.
Less formal
Begin in the MiddleStart writing at whatever point you like. If you want to begin in the middle, fine. Leave the introduction or first section until later. The reader will never know that you wrote the paper "backwards." Besides, some writers routinely save the introduction until later when they have a clearer idea of what the main idea and purpose will be.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 543
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:Formal and InformalFormal and Informal
Formal
1.0 Brainstorm 1.1 Keep writing 1.2 Don't censor or evaluate 1.3 Keep returning to the problem2.0 Talk to your reader 2.1 What questions would they ask? 2.2 What different kinds of readers might you have?3.0 Ask yourself questions
Less formal
I. Brainstorm A. Keep writing B. Don't censor or evaluate C. Keep returning to the problemII Talk to your reader A. What questions would they ask? B. What different kinds of readers might you have?III. Ask yourself questions
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 544
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:Formal and InformalFormal and Informal
Less formal
1. Brainstorm • Keep writing • Don't censor or evaluate • Keep returning to the problem2. Talk to your reader • What questions would they ask? • What different kinds of readers might you have?3. Ask yourself questions
Less formal
• Brainstorm – Keep writing – Don't censor or evaluate – Keep returning to the problem• Talk to your reader – What questions would they ask? – What different kinds of readers might you have?• Ask yourself questions
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 545
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:What’s the Tone Here?What’s the Tone Here?
EXPLORE the problem -- not the topic
Who is your reader?
What is your purpose?
Who are you, the writer?
EXPLORE the problem -- not the topic
Who is your reader?
What is your purpose?
Who are you, the writer?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 546
Tone Strategies:Tone Strategies:What’s the Tone Here?What’s the Tone Here?
EXPLORE the problem -- not the topic
Who is your reader?
What is your purpose?
Who are you, the writer?
EXPLORE the problem -- not the topic
Who is your reader?
What is your purpose?
Who are you, the writer?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 547
Ethos QuestionsEthos Questions
How can I design the text field so it creates credibility for me, the other authors, or the organization?
How can design decisions in the other five categories enhance the visual credibility of this field?
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 548
Ethos StrategiesEthos Strategies
Create a professional lookRespect genre conventionsDevelop a style
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 549
Ethos Strategies: Ethos Strategies: Professional and StylishProfessional and Stylish
The Research Process
Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic
The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives. As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Search Words
Before you start a subject or keyword search on any of the on-line databases, you should work up a list of terms that may be relevant to your particular research project. The wrong keyword (or a misspelled one) can frustrate any project.
The Research Process Research papers are easy if you start early and work systematically. In this type of assignment you gather and interpret facts, ideas, theories, and opinions from articles written by others. As you do the research, your knowledge and expertise about your topic grows. In the finished paper, you use the information you gather for your own arguments and purposes.
Choosing a Topic The topic should be something that you feel is important, interesting and worth exploring. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you think about the topic at the beginning of the process. Even if you have an opinion, it is better to start with an open mind, ready to see the issues from other perspectives.
As the research progresses and you learn more about the issues, the topic will become more focused and your position may solidify.
It is useful to formulate your topic as a question you are trying to answer. Some samples:
1. Should smoking be legal in the United States?
2. Does the current welfare system create a cycle of poverty?
3. Should Affirmative Action programs be abolished?
Remember that if too many people are working on the same topic area, the first person to the library will get the best sources. You may want to choose something a little different.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what
you think about the topic at the
beginning of the process.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 550
Ethos Strategies: Ethos Strategies: Meet Genre ConventionsMeet Genre Conventions
Perception of Different Sugars by Blowflies
Alexander Hamilton
Biology 110
October 24, 1995
Lab partners:
Sharon Flynn,
Andi Alexander
INTRODUCTION
All animals rely on senses of taste and smell to find acceptable food for survival. Chemoreceptors are found in the taste buds on the tongue in humans (Arms & Camp, 1995), for example, for tasting food. Studies of sensory physiology have often used insects as experimental subjects because insects can be manipulated with ease and because their sensory-response system is relatively simple. Flies taste food by walking on it (Dethier, 1963). Hollow hairs around the proboscis and tarsi contain receptor neurons that can distinguish among water, salts, and sugars, and flies can distinguish among different sugars (Dethier, 1976).
In this experiment we tested the ability of the blowfly Sarcophaga bullata to taste different sugars and a sugar substitute saccharin. Because sucrose is so sweet to people, I expected the flies to taste lower concentrations of sucrose than they would of maltose and glucose. Because saccharin is also sweet tasting to people, I expected the flies to respond positively to it as well.
Perception of Different Sugars by Blowflies
Alexander Hamilton
Biology 110
October 24, 1995
Lab partners:
Sharon Flynn,
Andi Alexander
INTRODUCTION All animals rely on senses of taste and smell to find acceptable food for survival. Chemoreceptors are found in the taste buds on the tongue in humans (Arms & Camp, 1995), for example, for tasting food. Studies of sensory physiology have often used insects as experimental subjects because insects can be manipulated with ease and because their sensory-response system is relatively simple. Flies taste food by walking on it (Dethier, 1963). Hollow hairs around the proboscis and tarsi contain receptor neurons that can distinguish among water, salts, and sugars, and flies can distinguish among different sugars (Dethier, 1976).
In this experiment we tested the ability of the blowfly Sarcophaga bullata to taste different sugars and a sugar substitute saccharin. Because sucrose is so sweet to people, I expected the flies to taste lower concentrations of sucrose than they would of maltose and glucose. Because saccharin is also sweet tasting to people, I expected the flies to respond positively to it as well.
04/21/23Designing Visual Language-Chapter 551
Ethos Strategies: Ethos Strategies: Meet Genre ConventionsMeet Genre Conventions
February 26, 2003
The Lone Gunmen
26 Bradley Road
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Readers,
What Happened at Port Chicago?
It was August 6, 1945 when a blinding flash cut across the sky of Hiroshima causing the eventual death of some 80,000 men, women and children. But a year earlier in July, 1944 a huge explosion had occurred at the naval ammunition facility at Port Chicago, California. All contemporary accounts described the disaster as due to conventional explosives but an odd quirk of fate worthy of a Perry Mason show or a mystery novel started author Peter Vogel probing in other directions. The results of that quest which we will summarize here was published in the Spring 1982 issue of The Black Scholar in an article called The Last Wave From Port Chicago by Peter Vogel.
In the spring of 1980 the author found a document at the bottom of a box of photographic equipment and supplies from a church rummage sale. That document was entitled the "History of the 10,000 ton gadget" and had come from Los Alamos laboratories in Autumn of 1944. Many people might have never paid any attention to this paper which was a previously top secret technical description of the timing of the various events taking place within a nuclear explosion after detonation. The "history" proceeds through a number of steps indicating, for example, the detonation wave reaching the tamper in .067 milliseconds (step 2), The tamper being fully compressed at .127 ms (step 3), ball of fire fully expanded at approximately 160 ms (step 8). But the Rosetta stone here was step 11. It stated: "Ball of fire mushroom
THE LONE GUNMEN
What Happened at Port Chicago? It was August 6, 1945 when a blinding
flash cut across the sky of Hiroshima causing the eventual death of some 80,000 men, women and children. But a year earlier in July, 1944 a huge explosion had occurred at the naval ammunition facility at Port Chicago, California. All contemporary accounts described the disaster as due to conventional explosives but an odd quirk of fate worthy of a Perry Mason show or a mystery novel started author Peter Vogel probing in other directions. The results of that quest which we will summarize here was published in the Spring 1982 issue of The Black Scholar in an article called The Last Wave From Port Chicago by Peter Vogel.
In the spring of 1980 the author found a document at the bottom of a box of photographic equipment and supplies from a church rummage sale. That document was entitled the "History of the 10,000 ton gadget" and had come from Los Alamos laboratories in Autumn of 1944. Many people might have never paid any attention
to this paper which was a previously top secret technical description of the timing of the various events taking place within a nuclear explosion after detonation. The "history" proceeds through a number of steps indicating, for example, the detonation wave reaching the tamper in .067 milliseconds (step 2), The tamper being fully compressed at .127 ms (step 3), ball of fire fully expanded at approximately 160 ms (step 8).
But the Rosetta stone here was step 11. It stated: "Ball of fire mushroom (sic) out at 18,000 ft in typical Port Chicago fashion." This line set off alarm bells. The author learned that the Port Chicago explosion was indeed characterized by a brilliant white flash and that a ball of fire mushroomed out to at least 10,000 feet before it was obscured by nightfall.
So now the author had a few questions come to mind that needed some answers:
> "Did the U.S. in fact have the capability