Visual+Literacy

To understand visual literacy a textbook design was evaluated for PAT: Perception, Action, and Tools.

My overall interpretation of the figure is that it is poorly designed.The information being conveyed is not presented clearly and it is hard to understand. The facts and figures don’t readily appear to relate to one another into a big picture concept. The design seems ineffective and disorganized. Overall the information displayed is confusing and difficult to interpret, as a learner and a teacher I’m left with more questions than answers. The visual design did not effectively communicate with the learner based on the concepts of the PAT model. Fist, because it didn’t incorporate the information into a readily recognizable pattern of organization. Second, the contrast of the pictures and the words are not put together in a way that is cohesive and memorable. Thirdly, the chart lacks continuity and repetition because it uses different units to measure consumption and time. The inconsistencies of terminology and ways of counting create immense confusion for the perceiver and their ability to interpret. The lack of repetition and the information, graphics, and words do not effectively lead the reader to an overall understanding and comprehension of the information being conveyed. On a positive note, however, the design does have good alignment, proximity, and the simple shapes of the graphics, colors, and chart design make it a good foundation from which an effective design can emerge. The effectiveness of this design can be improved by adding an overarching title and maybe a caption or graphic that explains what the learner is looking at, what information should be remembered, and why we should be interested. The title of the chart itself, overproteined, should be changed to a more identifiable and recognizable word or phrase like protein consumption in America. Protein consumption measured in this country needs to be stated with the same point of reference for each consumable product and measured by the same units of number over time. I would also like to see an explanation under the chart that clearly indicates with words and/or graphics why consuming so much protein as a nation is either a benefit or a malady.