USING

VISUAL AIDS
IN
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATIONS
According to a Nielsen Wire REPORT, Social Media
usage from April 2009 grew substantially. For example,
in April 2008, Facebook’s total minutes used were
1,735,698. This number grew to 13,872,640 in April
2009. This equals a 699 percent growth. During the
same span, MySpace usage decreased from 7,254,645
to 4973,919. This is a 31 percent in usage. In April
2008. Blogger usage was 448,710 minutes and
increased to 582,683 minutes in April 2009. This
equals a 30 percent increase in usage. During the same
time period, LinkedIn accounted for 119,636 minutes
used. LinkedIn usage increased 69 percent in April
2009, or 202,407 minutes. Finally, from April 2008 to
April 2009, Twitter usage increased 3,712 percent. This
was 7,865 minutes to 299, 836 minutes of usage (Time
Spent on Facebook up to 700%, but MySpace Still Tops
for Video).
1. CONCISENESS
Visual aids allow you to
provide large amounts
of information in a
small space.
2. CLARITY
Visual aids can clarify
information, such as
trends, comparison,
percentages, and facts
and figures.
 USE OF GRAPHICS TO
CLARITY CLARIFY CONTENT
TRENDS---Certain FIGURE 1
trends, such as Online Class Growth
increasing or
decreasing sales
figures, enrollment
numbers, revenues,
stock prices, and so
on, are most evident
in line graphs.
 USE OF GRAPHICS TO CLARIFY
CONTENT
COMPARISONS FIGURE 2
BETWEEN LIKE Online Class vs. On-
COMPONENTS--- Campus Classes
Comparisons of
sizes, costs, or
amounts can be
seen in grouped
bar charts
 USE OF GRAPHICS TO CLARIFY
CONTENT
PERCENTAGES FIGURE 3
---Pie charts Ages of Online Students
help readers
discern the
divisions of
parts of a
whole
3. COSMETIC APPEAL
Visual aids break
up the monotony
of wall-to-wall
words.
 All graphics look best in color.
COLOR Graphics are depicted in vivid
colors to attract reader’s attention.

1.The colors might be distracting

(glaring orange, red and yellow
combinations.)
2.Colors that look good today
might go out of style in time.
3.Colored graphics increase
production costs.
 All graphics look best in color.
COLOR Graphics are depicted in vivid
colors to attract reader’s attention.

4. If your reader prints out the text in

black and white, your original colors
will have no meaning.
5. The colors you use might not look
the same to all readers. Just because
you see the colors one way does not
mean your readers will see them the
same.
TYPES
OF
GRAPHICS
 GRAPHICS

TABLES FIGURES

Columns and rows Bar charts

of information Line graphs
Photographs
Pie charts
Line drawings
Organizational Charts
Flow Charts
WHAT IS THE USE OF TABLES ?

Tables eliminate needless

repetition of words
Figures highlight and
supplement important
points in writing
WHAT IS THE USE OF TABLES ?

It organizes data such

as statistics, into parallel
rows and columns that
allow readers to make
precise comparisons.
 TABLE ELEMENTS
TABLE NUMBER
- should be placed just
above the tables and
assigned sequentially
throughout the document
 TABLE ELEMENTS
TABLE TITLE
- it is the title normally
placed just above the
table, it should describe
what the table represents.
 TABLE ELEMENTS
COLUMN HEADING OR
BOX HEAD
-Contains the column
headings which should
be brief and descriptive
 TABLE ELEMENTS
STUB
The left vertical column
of a table, lists the
items about which
information is given
 TABLE ELEMENTS
BODY
-It describes the content and
arrange the columns so that
the items to be compared
appear in adjacent rows and
columns.
 TABLE ELEMENTS
RULES
The lines in that separate
the tables into its various
parts
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
TABLES
1. Number tables in order of presentation.
2. Title every table. In your writing, refer
to the table by its number, not by its title.
3. Present the table as soon as possible
after you have mentioned it in your text.
Preferably, place the table on the same
page as the appropriate text, not on a
subsequent, unrelated page or in an
appendix.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
TABLES
4. Do not present the table until
you mentioned it.
5. Use an introductory sentence
or two to lead into the table.
6. After you have presented the
table, explain its significance.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
TABLES
7. Write headings for each column.
Choose terms that summarize the
information in the columns.
8. Because the size of columns is
determined by the width of the
data or headings, you may want to
abbreviate terms.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
TABLES
9. Center tables between right and left
margins. Don’t crowd them on the page.
10. Separate columns with ample white
space, vertical lines or dashes.
11. Be consistent in using numbers.
12. Cite the source of the information, if
you have taken content from primary or
secondary sources.
 FIGURES
Figures highlight and
supplement
important points in
writing.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
FIGURES
1. Number figures in order of
presentation.
2. Title each figure. When you
refer to the figure, use its
number rather than its title.
3. Avoid using figure until you
have mentioned it in the text.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
FIGURES
4. Present the figure as soon as
possible after mentioning it
instead of several paragraphs
or pages later.
5. After you have presented the
figure, explain its significance.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
FIGURES
6. Label the figures
components.
7. When necessary, provide a
legend or a key at the bottom
of the figure to explain
information.
 CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE
FIGURES
8. If you have drawn information from
another source, note this at the
bottom of the figure.
9. Frame the figure. Center it between
the left and right margins or place it
in text box.
10. Size figures appropriately. Don’t
make them too small or too large.
 BAR CHARTS
Bar charts are either vertical
bars or horizontal bars. These
bars are scaled to reveal
quantities and comparative
values. You can shade, color, or
crosshatch the bars to
emphasize the contrasts.
 BAR CHARTS
They are commonly used to show:
1. Quantities of the same item at
different times
2. Quantities of different items at
the same time
3. Quantities of different parts of
an item that make up a whole
Horizontal Bar Chart for High-Tech Readers
Bar (Column) Graph (Showing the Parts that
Make Up the Whole)
 PIE CHARTS
Use pie charts to illustrate
portions of a whole. The pie chart
represents information as pie
shaped parts of a circle. The
entire circle equals 100 percent
or 360 degrees. The pie pieces
show the various divisions of the
whole.
 TO CREATE EFFECTIVE PIE
CHARTS, DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. Be sure that the complete circle
equals 100 percent or 360
degrees.
2. Begin spacing wedges at the
twelve o’clock position.
3. Use shading, color, or
crosshatching to emphasize wedge
distributions.
 TO CREATE EFFECTIVE PIE
CHARTS, DO THE FOLLOWING:
4. Use horizontal writing to label
wedges.
5. If you don’t have enough room for
a label within each wedge, provide a
legend defining what each shade,
color, or crosshatching symbolizes.
6. Provide percentages for wedges
when possible.
 TO CREATE EFFECTIVE PIE
CHARTS, DO THE FOLLOWING:

7. Do not too many wedges—

this would crowd the chart and
confuse readers.
8. Make sure that different
sizes of wedges are fairly
large, readable, and dramatic.
 LINE CHARTS
Line charts reveal relationships
between sets of figures. To make a
line chart, employ sets of numbers
and connect the sets with lines.
These lines create a picture
showing the upward and downward
movement of quantities.
LINE CHARTS
 FLOWCHARTS
You can show the chronological
sequence of activities using a
flowchart.
When using flowchart, remember
that ovals represent starts and
stops. Rectangle represent steps,
and diamonds equal decisions.
 FLOWCHARTS
A flowchart is a diagram using
symbols, words, or pictures to
show the stages of a process in
sequence from beginning to end.
A flowchart provides an overview
of a process and allows the
reader to identify its essential
steps quickly and easily.
CREATING FLOWCHARTS
Label each step in the process or identify
each step with labeled blocks, or
standardized symbols.
Follow the standard flow directions: left to
right and top to bottom.
Indicate any nonstandard flow directions
with arrows.
Include a key (or callouts) if the flowchart
contains symbols your audience may not
understand.
FLOWCHARTS
ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS
You can use boxes around the
information or use white space to
distinguish among levels in the
chart. An organizational chart helps
your readers see where individuals
work within a business and their
relation to other workers.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS

An organizational chart

shows how the various
components of an
organization are related
to one another.