{"id":274,"date":"2023-09-20T00:23:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T00:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/chapter\/introduction-to-charts-diagrams-and-graphic-organizers\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T17:52:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T17:52:27","slug":"introduction-to-charts-diagrams-and-graphic-organizers","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/chapter\/introduction-to-charts-diagrams-and-graphic-organizers\/","title":{"raw":"Learn It 5.3.3 Choosing and Using Graphics","rendered":"Learn It 5.3.3 Choosing and Using Graphics"},"content":{"raw":"

Pictographs<\/h3>\r\n

Pictographs use symbols and images to convey data, information, or ideas. They are also called icons<\/strong>. The pictographs in Figure 9 are part of a resume and signal what kind of information can be found next to each pictograph (phone number, address, Twitter handle, and email respectively).<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3878\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]\"A Figure 1. Four examples of pictographs, or icons[\/caption]\r\n\r\n

This makes it easier for a recruiter to view and pick out the necessary contact information. Other pictograms can convey processes (like the instructions to build IKEA furniture<\/a>) or information (like when the weather app on your phone tells you it\u2019s going to rain today by posting a picture of a rain cloud).<\/p>\r\n

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Transparency in Communication[footnote]Allyn, Bobby. \u201cGoogle to Destroy Private Browsing History of Millions Who Used \u2018Incognito Mode.\u2019\u201d NPR<\/em>, April 2, 2024. https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/04\/02\/1242196805\/google-to-destroy-private-browsing-history-of-millions-who-used-incognito-mode[\/footnote]<\/h4>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2633\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"186\"]\"icon Figure 2. Google's spy guy[\/caption]\r\n\r\n

Google's Incognito web browsing mode is presented with a \"spy guy\" icon. In internal emails, Google's employees believed that pairing the name \"Incognito\", which means someone in disguise, with the spy guy icon was misleading users into thinking that Google was not tracking their information.<\/p>\r\n

In reality, Google was collecting was still collecting data on what people searched and the websites they visited. Now Google has settled a class action lawsuit and agreed to delete millions of user search histories. Google has also updated the information shown when you open an Incognito tab to more transparently describe what information is and is not collected.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

Infographics<\/h3>\r\n

Similarly, infographics use pictures, but they also incorporate data and words, all to explain a single point. Infographics can be used to make a complex subject a little simpler to understand, particularly when there are more than two or three factors to consider. They can also be used to compare two or more categories and make your data more interesting and eye-catching.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2613\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"601\"]\"This Figure 3. An example of an infographic[\/caption]\r\n\r\n

This infographic presents information by using a combination of visual elements and numerical data to illustrate the economic impact of honey bee pollination. By integrating maps, icons, and bold numbers, it highlights key statistics and facts in a manner that is easy to scan and understand. The color scheme is thematic and helps to draw attention to different sections with an eye-catching and entertaining quality that\u2019s engaging and interesting to the audience.<\/p>\r\n

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Even More Charts and Graphs<\/strong>: This is not an all-inclusive list of the kinds of charts and graphs available. If you work in the science arena, you may find yourself using scatter charts or heat maps. Statisticians might be reaching for a trellis chart or even a function graph.<\/p>\r\n

Learn what graphs your industry relies on most and take the time to familiarize yourself with them so you can use these important visual communication tools to your advantage.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

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Making Charts and Graphs with Free Tools<\/h4>\r\n

As we mentioned earlier in this module, all graphs and charts that you see on the internet are someone else\u2019s property, and using them in your work is stealing. But there\u2019s little reason to use someone else\u2019s chart\u2014you can create your own chart to communicate your own data! Here are a few tools that can help you create something great:<\/p>\r\n