Your ePortfolio Website
Adding and Citing Visuals
Support Your
Recommendation Report
with Visuals
Building a strong recommendation report includes creating visual appeal.
The visuals in your report will reinforce and clarify important ideas.
Components of visual appeal include:
-
Create visual interest. Engage and guide the clients as they read.
-
Maintain information management. Visuals simplify and clarify complicated information.
The visuals in your report will reinforce and clarify important ideas. We explored design concepts for visuals in a Writing Project 1 PowerPoint: "Designing Slides: Visual Companion Pieces for Presentations."
A Quick Note:
Internal Redundancy
One unexpected requirement of using visuals is internal redundancy.
Redundancy is part of professional writing. [Notice that I just repeated that three times.] Headings alert readers to key concepts coming in the next paragraph. The topic sentence repeats what is in the paragraph; then the paragraph repeats the material on a precise, micro-level.
The images you share will also repeat data from the paragraph. Some readers focus on the image and skip the text. Other readers read the text and skip the image. Invested readers will engage both. The information will repeat big ideas and data. The text will provide analysis and help the audience know what the charts mean for your project.
Internal Redundancy is EVERYWHERE
-
Internal redundancy helps readers contextualize what they're reading.
-
Internal redundancy can be achieved with:
-
images
-
captions
-
charts
-
+MORE
-
How To:
Cite Visuals
Title, Caption, and Credit
The New York Times article by Peter Libbey explores the dangerous misadventures of one Salvador Dali painting. Within the article, there are small titles that signal what each photo shows, then captions and credits.
-
The title provides clear context/ it isn't catchy or playful--be detailed and specific.
-
The caption explains the what and why for including the photo.
-
The credit line identifies who took the photo/ or created the visual.
Be sure to include an image title that anchors the visual to a specific moment in your writing.
Real World Example:
-
The New York Times is an excellent resource if you want to look at best practices in publishing.
Images/Visuals need titles
Images/Visuals must
have captions
and credits
Visuals must be commented on
in the text too
A Quick Note:
Images + Other Visuals
Compel Your Client:
-
Creating a well-designed visual takes time and a close eye for detail.
-
Then, use them to compel your client that your recommendations are smart choices.
Everyone likes visuals to explain and reinforce important ideas.
You're welcome to use photos and other visuals if they help support your analysis section. This decision is up to your team. Some teams label these Figures; others include them more like a newspaper might, with a title and caption.
The key is to be consistent. The same signaling tools you use in one instance should be used in every instance.
