Visual+Literacy

Visual Literacy
// Visual Literacy is something that I had known very little about prior to this lesson. It was exciting to see the techniques and guidelines used. I appreciated the opportunity to critique a graphic, because this is something I will definitely be using in the classroom. Graphics are everywhere, and since we humans are such visual learners, visual literacy is something I need to be proficient in. //

After learning about visual literacy, I can say that I had never known so much went into creating an effective graphic. The PAT tool had never been brought to my attention before, but now I can see how it is used in visual literacy.

In the example given, I interpret the message to be promoting a healthier eating plan: one with less protein. It appears that data has been collected, and all of it is profitable to the graphic. First, in following of PAT regulations, the Proximity and Similarity (of Gestalt) are well done and organized in a way that makes reading it simple, and the reader/viewer can easily follow the path of information. The Color of the graphic is also very pleasing to the eye. Space also is executed well to help the reader tie the pictures in with the piece of information listed.

There are some features that need to be made more presentable or amiable to the reader. The Alignment of the wording needs to be all unified. Some is flush left and some is centered. Further, the title should be made larger to grab the reader’s eye. In terms of actual content, I think the third piece of data (127 Chickens eaten per second in America) should be changed to match the other three better. The other pieces of data all have numbers that are millions or billions. Perhaps calculating how many chickens are eaten every //day// instead of second would fix this. Lastly, the chick doesn’t quite fit in with the other pictures. It seems a little distasteful to put the actual animal in with other pictures of the food product.

I appreciate the knowledge I gained from dissecting this graphic and finding out what does and what does not coincide with the PAT tips and suggestions. I will definitely use this in the future.