The Techniques used to Integrate Text and Visuals

Visuals that accompany text in business papers should be properly calibrated to maintain readability and avoid any confusion. Even though they are prized for their effects on multisensory communication. The message conveyed in the text can ideally be kept fully hidden by incorrect use of visuals, such as the use of irrelevant images, the use of imprecise images, and the failure to correctly synchronize the messages transmitted by the visuals with the messages in the texts. It is ideal to think about applying tactics like creating titles and other descriptions, placing images in documents correctly, and citing images in the text in order to avoid such situations and retaining a sense of balance between the visuals and the texts.

Retaining a Sense of Balance between Visuals and Texts

It is worth noting that placing many visuals in a text may divert the readers’ attention. Such is because the constant reference to drawings and tables amongst other visuals makes it hard for readers to focus on the message’s thread (Bovee & Thill, 2016, p. 239). Additionally, the space that visuals occupy can interfere with the texts’ flow on the screen or page. It is, thus, important to consider the specific needs of readers and ensure that a balance between words and illustrations is maintained.

Referencing Visuals in Texts

In the precepts of Bovee and Thill (2016, p. 239), visuals should be referred to by use of figures in texts of a document. In this regard, it is recommended for writers to ensure that they consistently observe their preferred methods of reference. For instance, having chosen to refer to the visuals as numbered exhibits, the writer must determine the type of numbering to use throughout the document (Schnotz, 2015, p.1387). Besides, they must make certain that the numbering is regular and in observance of the order desired for the document.

Proper positioning of Visuals in a Document

Writers should position visuals in a manner that makes it easy for their audiences to go through the business documents. As such, visuals should be placed immediately after, beside, or within the paragraph whose messages they augment as tools of immediate reference (Bovee & Thill, 2016, p. 239). Notably, such a design would work best with online and print documents. Importantly, writers should avoid grouping visuals at the end of a section or a document since doing such would strain the readers’ attention as they would have to make back and forth references to the text.

Writing Titles and other Descriptions

Legends, captions, and titles assist in connecting textual and visual messages. They also ensure a faultless reading experience. Notably, a title identifies the purpose and content of visuals and any other number or label that is used to refer to the visual (Bovee & Thill, 2016, p. 240). A caption provides additional conversation of the content of visuals. Captions and legends, on the other hand, assist readers to decode the visuals through by offering explanations of different symbols, colors, or depicted actions. Thus, using the titles, legends, and captions would ensure that the reader is pointed in the right direction of making a correct interpretation of the visual in relation to the text.

Conclusion

The illustrated processes are important for ensuring that the use of visuals serves the purpose of stimulating the multisensory interpretation and understanding of texts. Ideally, this is a factor that makes communication in business more effective. Application of the processes, as has been illustrated, would make the messages communicated in texts more pronounced. Besides, it would facilitate the realization of the objectives for which the texts have been written.

References

Bovee, C. L. & Thill, J. V. (2016). Business Communication Today (13th edition), NJ: Pearsons education

Schnotz, W. (2015). An integrated model of text and picture comprehension. The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning, Cambridge: Cambridge multimedia learning.