MGT269 – BUSINESS

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

What is VISUAL Communication?

 Visual communication has become an important skill for today’s business
professionals and managers.

1. Visual communication can replace textual message.

2. Visual elements can enhance the communication power of textual

message.

3. Visuals are an effective way to reach audiences of diverse professional

and cultural background.

4. Busy readers can quickly grasp the essence of what you are trying to
communicate when looking at the visuals.

5. Help to summarize figures or show comparisons, relationships or trends so that

readers can learn the info at a glance.

THE POWER OF VISUALS

 2. To improve 3. To
1. To improve
audience improve
communication
perceptions of speaker’s
effectiveness
presenter confidence

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:

Persuasive.

Interesting. Professional.

Prepared.

Credible
(believable).

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

 Reinforce Clarify &
understanding. simplify text.

Illustrate
Attract & build relationships
credibility. between
points.

Emphasize &
summarize
points.

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

To unify Depict the relationship among points – for example, with a flowchart

WHEN TO USE VISUAL

 FIGURES
All mathematical
visuals ie charts,
graphs, diagram,
etc.
TABLES ILLUSTRATIONS
Arrangement of All visuals ie
numerical data in photographs,
horizontal or sketches, plans,
vertical rows. maps, etc.

3 broad
categories
of Visuals

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 Pictorial Graph
 Graphs of time series.  Also known as pictograms
 Uses  It is a simplified bar charts to
◦ To show trends and cycle help those who do not
◦ To compare trends understand the usual
◦ To show the relationship of presentation
two or more variables e.g.  Symbols are used to make visual
relationship between sales and impact
profit
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
parts. project and tells when they will
 The different values of are drawn in be performed. Also tracks the
proportion to the slices of the pie progress towards completing
 May be constructed on a
the project
percentage basis, or actual figures
 Example below shows a chart
 The circle which is divided into
segments adds up to 100% that depicts the progress of a
 Effective way of to show
new computer system
percentages or compare one installation.
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
Organizational chart
 Represent the arrangement
of people and department in
an organization and the way
they interrelate.

Registration

CEO
Payment
Secretary

Result Manager 1 Manager 2 Manager 3

FLOWCHART & ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

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

CONSISTENCY CONTRAST BALANCE EMPHASIS CONVENTION SIMPLICITY

Design Avoid to
Highlight much text
Background Slide vs per slide.
important
vs Text Slide
points Follow the
Fonts traditional Use
way of bullets
doing whenever
Sizes Test things. possible.
readability List points Play safe.
Title vs Replace
of a according to
Points words
finished importance.
Color slide. with
pictures

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 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 figures below show the number and percentage of unemployed graduates.
Based on the statistics given, draw a suitable graph with proper labeling to
depict the scenario. Make your own analysis from the statics, form conclusion
and propose recommendations.

COURSES NUMBER OF %
UNEMPLOYED
GRADUATES
COMPUTER SCIENCE 3942 19.5
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 3736 18.5
ENGINEERING 3096 15.3
ACCOUNTANCY 1923 9.5
LITERATURE & SOCIAL SCIENCES 1283 6.3
PURE & APPLIED SCIENCES 1303 6.4
ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING MANAGEMENT 540 2.7
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES & FORESTRY 401 2.0
HUMANITIES 3993 19.8

APRIL 2010
 The above pie chart shows the numbers
and percentages (%) of unemployed
graduates according to courses taken.
(1m)
 The statistics are based on nine (9)
different courses. They are agri….. (1m)
 The highest percentage/number of
unemployed students are from the
Humanities that takes 19.8 %. (1M)
 This could be because of a limited job
opportunities/high competition among
grads.(1M)
 Encourage entrepreneurial venture.