Information graphics are charts, graphs, and tables, which are produced primarily to present numerical or quantitative data to a given audience for a given purpose. For this assignment, you will redesign information graphics to meet a specific purpose and audience of your choice. The challenge is to find a novel way to represent the information. This process begins by first analyzing information graphics for purpose, audience, context. Then, you will redesign graphics and, lastly, reflect on the redesign process.
Documents:
Information graphic, memo
Readings:
Anderson’s “Chapter 1: Communication, Your Career, and This Book”
Anderson’s “Chapter 3: Defining Your Communication’s Objectives: Purpose, Reader, Context”
Anderson’s “Chapter 13: Creating Reader-Centered Graphics”
Anderson’s “Writer’s Reference Guide: Creating Eleven Types of Reader-Centered Graphics”
Bitzer, Lloyd F. (1968). The rhetorical situation. Philosophy and Rhetoric, 1.1, 1-14.
Research Methods:
Visual rhetorical analysis
Technical Writing Principles:
Visually complex, audience-related thinking
FOCUS ON USABILITY (Individual, 15%)
Description:
Individually, identify an already existing instructions manual but that has not been adequately documented for a particular group. Write a set of instructions or a procedure for the target audience that you select.
Readings:
Anderson’s “Chapter 4: Planning for Usability”
Anderson’s “Chapter 5 Planning Your Persuasive Strategies”
Anderson’s “Chapter 15: Revising Your Drafts”
Anderson’s “Chapter 16: Testing Drafts for Usability and Persuasiveness”
Anderson’s “Chapter 27: Writing Reader-Centered Instructions”
Vatz, Richard, E. (1973). The myth of the rhetorical situation. Philosophy and Rhetoric, 6.3, 154-161. (Provided by instructor.)
Vatz, Richard E. (2009). The mythical status of situational rhetoric: Implications for rhetorical critics' relevance in the public arena. The Review of Communication, 9.1, 1-5. (Provided by instructor.)
Documents:
Instructions Manual
Research Methods:
Usability testing
Technical Writing Principles:
Composing documents with the audience
NUTRITION LABEL REDESIGN PROJECT (Team, 50%)
Description:
In this assignment, you will extend what you've learned about image editing and web design to desktop publishing design. You will conduct usability tests and academic research dealing with nutrition labels and compose a professional report recommending a new national standard for both a front and back of package nutrition labels. The recommendation report will be published in print and also delivered online on your team's website. You research will culminate by creating a scientific poster that presents your research-based recommendation for a new national standard for both a front and back of package nutrition labels.
STAGE ONE: PROPOSALS (20% of project)
STAGE TWO: PROTOTYPES & USABILITY/GROUP CONFERENCES (10% of project)
STAGE THREE: WEBSITE & REPORT Draft (20% of project)
STAGE FOUR: POSTER PRESENTATION (20% of project)
STAGE FIVE: FINAL SUBMISSION OF POSTER, WEBSITE, AND REPORT (30% of project)
Documents: Proposal, Website, Empirical Research Report, Scientific Poster, Information Graphic
Research Methods:
Usability testing, library research
Technical Writing Principles:
Planning, Revision, and Reflection
TWITTER (Individual, 5%)
Create a Twitter account to use for class and post six (6) three (3) times a week using the hashtag #blue3403. Please see the Twitter FAQ on Google Documents for further details.
Follow @bluetortugas
Usually at the beginning of class, I will assign an approximately five (5) minute notecard activity. It may ask you to answer a question on the readings or give you the opportunity to raise questions on an upcoming assignment. Notecards will contain names but will not receive grades. They will be reviewed and returned to you at an upcoming class with informal feedback.
Attendance & Participation (10%)
Attendance and participation grade includes in-class interaction, group/individual conferences, and online blog activity.
Attendance & Participation (10%)
Attendance and participation grade includes in-class interaction, group/individual conferences, and online blog activity.
IN-CLASS WORKSHOPS (Extra Credit: 2%)
Sample workshops:
1. How to create a Gmail account
1. How to create a Gmail account
2. Submission of a signed agreement form
3. How to edit images on Photoshop
4. How to use headings style in Microsoft Word
5. Peer-review of draft of instructions manual
6. Peer-review of usability test handout
7. How to create a website using Dreamweaver
8. NLRP team conferences
9. NLRP Proposal Peer-Review
10. Building a team exercise
11. Practicing usability testing
12. NLRP posters peer-review
LECTURE NOTES (Extra Credit: 0.5%)
One person per class may volunteer based on a first-come-first-serve basis to take notes for a lecture. Lecture notes must be thorough and published on the course blog within 24 hours of class. A student may volunteer more than once but will only be allowed to take notes if no one else volunteers. A student may not exceed more than 2% of extra credit.
