Hope Glidden

Technical Writing – Design

Distribution of Front Impact

Crashes
40%
30% 38% 37%
20% 25%
10%
0%
Right Offset Full Frontal Left Offset

Document 12.1
• The graph was converted to a 2D to remove the distortion caused by 3D graphs.
• The chart was removed as it contains duplicate data which distracts from the graph.
• The color-coded legend was removed. There is no comparative data, so keeping the
graph one color indicates that the data relates to one data set. The x axis was labeled to
indicate the three crash modes.
• A descriptive title was added to identify the subject matter of the graph.

Effect of Airbags in Sustaining

Serious Injury
PERCENTAGE OF INJURIES

1.50%
1.00%
0.50%
0.00%
Arms Thorax Head Legs

TYPE OF INJURY
Air Bag No Airbag

Document 12.2
• The graph was revised to use consistent formatting of a bar graph only. Using a
combination of line and bar graphs does not permit the reader to easily interpret the data.
• The percentages written on each bar were removed as that information is identified in the
y axis; and the chart was removed as it contain duplicate data which distracts from the
graph.
• A bar chart was used, with contrasting colors, identified in the legend, so that the air bag
versus no air bag injuries could be easily reviewed and interpreted.
• A descriptive title was added to identify the subject matter of the graph. The axes were
clearly labeled to identify the data.
 LOWER EXTREMITY INJURIES IN AIRBAG EQUIPPED VEHICLES

Hip
12%
Foot/Ankle Femur
33% 9%

Tibia Knee
12% 34%

* Based on an average total of 17,669 lower extremity injuries

Document 12.3
• The 3D element of the pie chart was removed so that the data is easier to read and
interpret.
• The “tib.plat” and “tib.shaft” were combined into one “tibia” category so that the data
was clear to all readers who may not understand those terms/abbreviations.
• The chart was removed as it contains duplicate data and is distracting
• A note was added in the legend to identify the meaning of the data, and a more
descriptive title was added.
 The target audience for this infographic consists of scientists who work for the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These scientists often prepare reports or other

documents that are read not only by other scientists, but by professionals who work in the

transportation industry. These other professionals may not have a scientific background.

Although the scientists know how to create charts and graphs, they need some guidance in

designing visuals that can be understood by a diverse audience.

This infographic was designed using the Piktochart application. Although the design

process initially began with a blank canvas, I decided it was easier to start with a template. I

chose the Tangerine template because it is simple and had some of the elements I was

looking for, such as an eye-catching title, well-spaced text boxes, and a line separating the

page into two sections. Although I ultimately changed most of the template, it easier to

manipulate objects that are already there than to start from scratch. I opted to change the

background color to something more similar to the NHTSA’s website color scheme, simply

to highlight that this is a job-related infographic.

The design of the infographic takes into consideration some of the design principles from

the module readings. The color scheme is limited to three colors (blue, white and yellow).

As Leung mentions, this makes it easier for the reader to focus on the content of the

infographic (Leung). The font (Lekton) is appropriate for business, and the white color

stands out on the blue background. The infographic is not cluttered, and is purposely limited

in content, so as not to overwhelm or confuse the reader. This use of “white space”, and

proper alignment, take into consideration Leung’s design tips to improve the readability of

the infographic and limit distraction caused by unconventional formatting.

Neil Patel also offers some tips that are also relevant to this infographic design: keep it

simple, and keep it focused (12 Infographic Tips That You Wish You Knew Years Ago,
2019). I chose to keep the design simple because most likely this infographic will be quickly

referenced as the scientists are creating their report graphics. It is possible that it would be

printed and posted at their work stations so that they don’t forget to take these design tips

into consideration. The infographic is focused on design elements that can be modified or

manipulated within a program such as Excel. In order to convey the design

recommendations, I provide two example graphs – one that is appropriate and one that is not.

Each example is labeled with the specific points of what to do and what not to do.

In order to determine what content to include in the infographic, I first considered the

audience. The NHTSA scientists are new employees, who certainly understand the data they

are working with, and presumably have a working knowledge of making, and editing, graphs

and charts in a program such as Excel. They are likely inexperienced in creating visual

elements that will be viewed by individuals who may not understand certain terminology, or

who may not be able to interpret the data without the visual assistance of a graph.

Given the constraint on the size of the infographic, I chose to focus on the design

principles of creating a graph, taking into consideration the problems with their initial visual

design attempts. These problems included: vague graph titles; 3D graphs which tend to

distort data; using a combination of graph elements (bars and lines) which makes it difficult

to interpret data; and, chartjunk in the form of including the data table with the graph.

The content of the infographic focuses on the design elements in the form of what to do

and what not to do. One examples chart provides reminders for what to include (relevant

data, descriptive titles) and how to format (contrasting colors and appropriate form). The

other is a reminder of what not to include such as 3D graphs, chart junk, fancy formatting,

and too much scientific jargon.

 Works Cited

12 Infographic Tips That You Wish You Knew Years Ago. (2019, Feb 15). Retrieved March 1,
2019, from Neil Patel: https://neilpatel.com/blog/12-infographic-tips/

Leung, I. (n.d.). 3 Basic Design Principles for Effective Infographic Making. Retrieved March 2,
2019, from Piktochart.com: https://piktochart.com/blog/basic-design-principles-
infographic/