EDTECH 506: Week 5 - Shapes

The unit of instruction I'm designing is to help new hires get to know the company and outline the items they need to complete within their first 30 days of employment.  Part of the unit of instruction is to familiarize new hires with the segments and lines of business of the company.

Our new hires range from newly graduated students to senior business professionals from all backgrounds and cultures.

 

This image was designed to graphically display the different segments of the company and the corresponding lines of business under those segments.  I used circles to show unity (Lohr, 2008,p. 250) and display the elements of the business and their sub-elements.  I wanted to use an image that represented life and growth so I manipulated some of the shames to form a tree trunk that each of the segments connects to.  This reinforces the sense of unity and connectedness between the segments that form the company.  I feel the tree is representative of the continual growth of the company.  As it continues to grow additional branches will be displayed.  The shape of the branches also represent the flow and direction of the segments as the larger groups and the lines of business expand out from the tree trunk (Lohr, 2008, p. 250).

I originally had the segments and lines of business in shapes that looked like leaves.  However, when I did my user test, the feedback received was the text in the shapes was not easily legible.  I also had a color key at the bottom of the image indicating which shape was a segment or line of business.  As a result I changed the title colors to mirror the colors of the segments and lines of business.

Lohr, L.L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance: Lessons in visual literacy (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle, NJ:Pearson

* The company’s name has been changed for this unit of instruction