How do you design and use charts, diagrams, and infographics to convey complex technical data and concepts?

1 Why use visuals?

Visuals can be a powerful tool for communicating your message, especially when you need to present large amounts of data, complex processes, or abstract concepts. Visuals can help simplify and organize information, highlight trends and patterns, compare or contrast data or options, emphasize key points or actions, attract and retain attention, and enhance understanding and memory. Nevertheless, visuals should not be a substitute for text; instead, they should complement and support your written content without contradicting it. It's essential to provide clear titles, labels, captions, and references for your visuals that explain how they relate to your purpose and audience.

2 How to choose the right visual?

When creating technical documents, there are many types of visuals to choose from, such as charts, diagrams, infographics, tables, maps, icons, screenshots, photos, or videos. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. To select the right visual for your needs and expectations, consider the main message you want to convey, the type of data or information you have, how much detail or complexity you need to show, how familiar your audience is with your topic and visual format, and how it will fit in with your document layout and design. For instance, if you want to show the distribution of a variable over time, a line chart would be suitable. If you want to illustrate the steps of a process, a flowchart could be used. If you need to display the composition of a whole, then a pie chart would be an appropriate choice.

3 How to design your visual?

When designing a visual, it is important to ensure that it is clear, accurate, and appealing. Consistent and meaningful colors, fonts, symbols, and styles should be used throughout the document and visual. Appropriate scales, axes, legends, and units should also be used for data representation. Clutter, distortion, or misleading representations of data should be avoided. Labels, titles, captions, and annotations should be used to explain the visual and its relevance. The visual should also be aligned with the text and other elements on the page for readability and accessibility. Various tools and software can be used to create visuals such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Canva or Piktochart. It is important to use the right format and resolution for output and delivery.

4 How to use your visual?

As a technical writer, using visuals in your documents and communication can be a powerful tool. When doing so, remember to place your visual near the text that refers to it, preferably on the same page or screen. Additionally, refer to your visual by its title or number in your text and use transitions or signals to guide your reader's attention. It's also important to explain the main point or message of your visual in your text, and provide any necessary background or context. Use visuals to support your argument or recommendation, not to distract or confuse the reader. Finally, review and revise your visual as needed based on feedback or changes in your data or purpose. By following these principles and best practices, you can design and use charts, diagrams, and infographics to convey complex technical data and concepts in a clear and engaging way.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?