VISUAL

COMMUNICATION
MGT269
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Picture, tables, charts and diagrams that can aid the sender’s
expression of an idea and the receiver’s understanding

VISUAL COMMUNICATION
POWER OF VISUALS
BENEFITS OF USING VISUALS
• Add another sensory channel to the oral communication
process.
• Visuals improves efficiencies:
• Improve group consensus.
• Less time spent in discussing decisions.
• Less time spent in meeting.
• Highly significant improvements in audience action.

• Visual improves audience’s:

• Attention.
• Comprehension (understanding).
• Agreement.
• Retention.
• Action.

IMPROVE COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS

Audience perceive presenter as more:

IMPROVE AUDIENCE’S PERCEPTION

• “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
• Visualization encourages preliminary & early organization &
planning.
• Poor presenter using visuals can be as effective as good
presenters not using visuals.

IMPROVE SPEAKER’S CONFIDENCE

ADVANTAGES OF USING VISUALS
Purpose Application

To clarify Support text description of “graphics” topics; quantitative or numerical information,

explanations of trends, descriptions

To simplify Break complicated descriptions into components that can be depicted with the
conceptual models, flowcharts, organization charts or diagram

To emphasize Call attention to particularly important points by illustrating them with line, bar and
pie charts

To summarize Review major points in the narrative by providing a chart or table that sums up the
data

To reinforce Present information in visual and written form to increase reader’s retention

To attract Make material seem more interesting by decorating the cover or title page and by
breaking up the text with visual aids

To impress Build credibility by putting ideas into visual form to convey the impression of
authenticity and precision

WHEN TO USE VISUAL

To unify Depict the relationship among points – for example, with a flowchart
TYPES OF VISUALS
• A systematic arrangement of data in columns and rows
• Helpful in consolidating (combining) info.
• Ideal when audience needs the info what would be either difficult or
tedious to handle in the main text.
• Uses
• To present groups of detail facts in a concise and readable form
• To help readers find particular facts quickly
• To compare features of products or process

• Eg:

CLASSES FEMALE STUDENTS MALE STUDENTS

DBS 3A 32 15
DBS 3B 20 30

TABLES
• Bar graph represents numbers by the height or length of its rectangular
bars so that a series of number will be easy to be read and understood.
• Uses
• To compare quantities/size of several items at one time.
• To show changes in one item overtime (trends).
• To indicate the composition of a whole.

Vertical/ Column Bar Chart Horizontal Bar Chart Component Bar Chart

BAR GRAPHS
Line Graphs
• Graphs of time series.
• Uses
• To show trends and cycle
• To compare trends
• To show the relationship of two
or more variables e.g.
relationship between sales and
profit
Pictorial Graph
• Also known as pictograms
• It is a simplified bar charts to help
those who do not understand the
usual presentation
• Symbols are used to make visual
impact

Years
= 10,000 trees
2003

2002

2001

2000

No of trees

LINE GRAPH & PICTORIAL GRAPH

Pie Chart Gant Chart
• Shows how a whole is divided into • Identifies the major steps in a project
parts. and tells when they will be
• performed. Also tracks the progress
The different values of are drawn in
towards completing the project
proportion to the slices of the pie
• Example below shows a chart that
• May be constructed on a percentage
depicts the progress of a new
basis, or actual figures
computer system installation.
• The circle which is divided into
segments adds up to 100%
• Effective way of to show percentages
or compare one segment with
another
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Design

Test

Implementation

Feedback

PIE CHART & GANT CHART

 Flowchart
• Useful in presenting a series of
steps in a process or procedure
FLOWCHART & ORGANIZATIONAL
CHART
Organizational chart
 Represent the arrangement of
people and department in an
organization and the way they
interrelate.
Uses
• Visual appeal
• To show the appearance of something the reader have never
seen
• To show the condition of something
• To help reader recognize something

PICTURES
Communication Challenge Effective Visual Choice

To present individual, exact values Table

Show trends or relationships over time Line charts, bar charts

Compare two or more sets of data

To show frequency or distribution of parts in a whole Pie chart

To show geographic relationship or comparisons Map

To illustrate processes or procedures Flowchart/Diagram

To show spatial relationship (realistic) Picture

Summary - Selecting the Best Visuals

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE VISUAL DESIGN
• You are preparing the annual report for FretCo Guitar
Corporation. For each of the following types of information,
select the right chart or visual to illustrate the text. Explain your
choices.

1. Data on annual sales for the past 20 years

2. Comparison of FretCo Sales product by product for this year
and last year
3. Explanation of how a FretCo acoustic guitar is manufactured
4. Explanation of how FretCo market its product
5. Data on sales of FretCo products in each of 12 countries
6. Comparison of FretCo sales figures with competitor for the
past 5 years

Activity – Selecting the Right Visual

The pie chart below shows activities that we
choose to relax ourselves. Briefly summarize the
trends and make relevant recommendations.
Tips for Writing
1. Start by saying exactly what the chart shows, and the
time period. (What does the data do from the start to
the finish?)

2. Describe the changes as precisely as you can. Use

data and numbers from the chart. (Do they generally
go up or down or do they fluctuate?)

3. Compare the information. Talk about differences or

similarities between the groups shown. (Any
significant difference from the general trend?)

4. Conclude by saying what the main trends or changes

are. (Overall increase/decrease? Peaks/lows?)
Example of sentences..
• The chart illustrate…
• The number … fell slightly form… increase but
• Why this might happened?
• Overalll, we can see a clear upward/downward trend…
 Percentage of teachers reporting the most
common reason for learning foreign language.
The pie chart shows the percentage of teachers reporting the most common
reason for learning foreign language (1m). There are seven (7) reasons for
learning foreign language. (1m)
Majority of the teachers said that the most common reason for learning foreign
language is for travelling. This reason took 33 percent (%) of the pie chart. (1m)
Next reason, taking 26% of the chart is business/work. Teachers use foreign
language for their daily work communication. Buying property overseas is
another reason why teacher learn foreign language. This reason took 19%
In conclusion, travel (33%) is the most common reason for learning foreign
language and the least is having foreign partner (3%). Based on the trend, it is
recommended that the government should encourage more teachers to learn
foreign language despite all the mentioned reason. Having good communication
and ability to speak in other languages beside our own mother tongue language,
gives us more benefits as we can use it in our daily life. Schools should encourage
teachers and students to attend foreign language classes. (6m)