For my unit of instruction I'm designing a program that helps new hires know what they need to complete within their first 30 days of employment. New hires range from newly graduated students to senior business professional from all backgrounds and cultures.
The image I created this week was designed to show the main tasks each new hire needs to complete, and the recommended timing by weeks. The aim was to make the objective of the image very clear, display the information in an organized manner, and encompass it within the context of the timeframe the new hires are meant to complete all tasks (Lohr, 2008, p. 75).
Before starting to work on my image I compiled a list of everything I wanted to include in the image (Lohr, 2008, p. 77). Using these details I sketched two different drafts to see how the information might fit and if it made sense. My first draft used a large circle with segments representing each week. I was hoping it would look like a clock to reinforce the meaning of time. However, when I tried to list the tasks to be completed in each of the segments they wouldn't fit how I wanted. It also made the image look messy and it didn't end up looking like a clock.
My second idea was to use a timeline with chevrons or arrows to show the progression of time by week. From my sketch it was apparent this design was clearer and made more sense. By using the arrows my aim was to show the movement from each week's tasks and guide the new hires so they know exactly what they need to complete and when. The use of color also aligned the weeks tasks with the arrows.
I originally had the heading in black, and I also had a color border around the outer rectangle. However, the feedback from user testing was that the black heading looked too stark. They also indicated the border didn't really add any meaning to the image. As such, I changed the heading to a dark grey color, which softens it a little. I also took out the border.
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
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