d. Computer-based Graphics Presentations. With the increased use of
computers, you could be tasked to produce a computer-generated graphics
presentation. This type of presentation is where the computer presents
all the information on the monitor in one or a series of graphics. In
addition to normal requirements for a graphic, there are simple
requirements that you must consider and apply when preparing a computer-
based graphics presentation.
(1) Use the appropriate display rate when the graphic consists of
more than one screen. Because individuals reread or skim previously-read
material to review it, you should display whole paragraphs or large
blocks of text at the same time instead of one sentence or line. Once
you have developed the display rate, keep it regular and predictable.
(2) Place the primary information at the upper-left hand corner of
the screen as that is where the eye goes first.
(3) Limit the line length to 60 characters.
Readers find text
lines at an excess of 60 characters hard to read without losing their
place.
(4) Left-justify text but do not right-justify it.
When you
right-justify text, the spaces interrupt eye movement and slows down the
reading speed.
(5) Use different fonts to differentiate screen-components.
Use
bolder letters to designate higher-level priorities such as titles and
headings.
(6) Emphasize important data with text attributes.
You can use
text attributes to add emphasis and aid comprehension, but use them with
restraint. Use only two attributes on any screen to avoid a cluttered,
busy look.
A specific example of a computer-based graphics presentation is the slide
show capabilities found in the Harvard Graphics software. A slide show
is a collection of either single or multiple charts, other slide show
files, or bit-mapped files created in paint programs.
The slide show
feature in the software provides you with the capability of working with
more than one chart at a time.
Additionally, this software feature
provides you with the capability of capturing the output of other
software programs (e.g., dBASE, Lotus 1-2-3, etc.) and incorporating them
into a slide show presentation.
1-89
SS0530
Previous Page
