Communicating Visually: Incorporating Document Design in Writing Tasks

IN COMMUNICATION COURSES, the focus has traditionally been on text: how to craft good news or bad news messages, proposals, reports, and so on. Students are trained to be what Eunson (2005) called “information architects ” (p. 23), focusing on content and its structure. However, rapid developments in printing and computer technology have meant that communication has become more visual than ever before. Words alone are not enough; we need to be able to communicate visually as well. As communication instructors, of course, we all know how impor-tant visuals can be. Check any number of business communication textbooks, and you will invariably find a chapter on integrating visu-als. In report writing, for example, students are taught how visuals such as graphs and charts can enhance written words. Using visuals grat-t the task