Presentation delivered to the ASTC Conference in Sydney - October 27th 2011

1. Using Illustrations
in
Technical Communication
ASTC Conference – October 2011
Charles Cave

6. Purpose of my talk
Purpose of my talk
• Types of illustrations – sketches technical
Types of illustrations sketches, technical
drawings, photographs, video
• How to choose
How to choose
• How to make illustrations
• Get your feedback and ideas
charles.cave@ir.com

7. Visual preference
Visual preference

8. Balti
Chicken
Illustration

9. Series
Of
steps

11. Callout two step lookup
Callout – two step lookup
Letters
Callout – 2 step lookup

12. Callout
Callout – good example (1 step)

13. Callout with structure
Callout – with structure

16. http://www.youtube.com/jonakashima

17. Origami Crane
Origami Crane

19. Drawings
Vs
Vs
Photographs
g p

21. Annotations

28. Electric kitchen scales
Electric kitchen scales

29. Care and maintenance ?
Care and maintenance ?

30. Flowchart

31. Flowchart template
Flowchart template

34. Swim lane
Swim‐lane

35. Icon Libraries Visio or Powerpoint
Icon Libraries – Visio or Powerpoint

39. Uses of Illustrations
Uses of Illustrations
• Show finished result (cookbook)
Show finished result (cookbook)
• Label components (call out)
• Show steps i
Sh in a process ( i
(origami)
i)
• Demonstration (cookbook)
• Visual index (bird field guide)
• Visual identification (spices, birds)
Visual identification (spices birds)

40. Types of Illustrations
Types of Illustrations
• Sketches (hand drawn/scan, tablet)
Sketches (hand drawn/scan, tablet)
• Line art (scan)
• Vector art (Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape)
Vector art (Adobe Illustrator Inkscape)
• Technical drawing (Visio, 2D or 3D CAD, Dia)
• PowerPoint – D
P P i t Drawings and Smart Art
i dS tA t
• Screen captures (Snagit)
• Photographs
• Video – YouTube ‐ Camtasia

41. Practicalities

42. Line Art
Line Art
• Drawing by hand scanner or camera
Drawing by hand – scanner or camera
• Drawing by computer
• File sizes
il i
• Easy to update

43. Powerpoint ‐ Shapes

46. Powerpoint ‐ Smart Art
Smart Art

47. Seasons
Summer
Spring Autumn
Winter

48. Visio

49. Photographs
• Camera, tripod, lighting, Image editor
– Photoshop, GIMP (software)
• Composition, backgrounds
p , g
• Difficulty of updating or recreating
• All the steps can be seen at once ‐
All the steps can be seen at once overview
• File size – image size, compression (JPG)

50. Image Files
Image Files
• JPEG format
• I
Image size – width and height
i idth d h i ht
• Compression

51. Video
• Camera, tripod, lighting
• Composition, backgrounds, action
• More effort to update or recreate
p
• Quicker to create than showing steps
• User can pause, rewind and replay
User can pause rewind and replay

52. Conclusion

53. How can you develop your skills?
How can you develop your skills?

54. 1. Draw every day!
1. Draw every day!

55. 2. Storyboards
2. Storyboards
• Sketches to show just enough information
Sketches to show just enough information

56. 3. Carry digital/video camera always
3. Carry digital/video camera always
• Photograph what you write about it
Photograph what you write about it
• Video record demonstrations and procedures

57. 4. Learn to use drawing s/w
4. Learn to use drawing s/w
• Powerpoint – Shapes Smart Art Photo effects
Shapes, Smart Art, Photo effects
• Visio – Symbol libraries
• Dia – O
i Open Source program like Visio
S lik i i
• Open Office ‐ Draw
• Inkscape (free equivalent Adobe Illustrator)
p
www.inkscape.org g

58. 5. Befriend your Graphic Designer
5. Befriend your Graphic Designer
www.designcrowd.com
g
www.freelance.com
www.elance.com

59. Think
Visual!