Visual Essay

I had trouble starting this project.  I did not know what graphic to improve because I associated a graphic with a picture.  It was not until I read the suggestions on the Visual Communication web page that I had direction.  I chose to improve a graphic from  Car and Driver magazine, a magazine which I have never read before.  The magazine primarily consists of graphs and charts which compare and contrast different types of vehicles.  I chose a graphic which does just that.


I re-designed my graphic in Adobe InDesign.  I have background knowledge about the program from an electronic communication class I took.  The tools I used within the program were basic though.  I wanted to graphic to be easier to read.  I am not familiar with cars and therefore wanted to make others who do not understand cars able to read a chart comparing various cars more user friendly.

The basic format of he graphic remained the same, I re-ordered some titles in order to clarify certain information, but the information I learned in class about color, size, placement, and typeface were my main areas of focus.  Small, subtle changes make can make a wordy and confusing graphic much easier to read. 

(Original)

The original graphic has odd color usage and inconsistent fonts.

(Rough Drafts)

(Improved Graphic)

Although this project proved to be more challenging than I originally thought it would be, I am very happy with how it turned out.  My graphic is easier to read and more organized.