Proposal Flowchart Excellence: Ten Rules for Scoring on Top  

'Flowcharts-- UGH!' That's a too-typical reader reaction when faced with the average flowchart. It underscores the author's challenge when trying to develop this potentially powerful tool. For conveying process, there is no better means. In proposals, however, where the flowchart must also serve as a sales tool, its optimum form is not always clear. This paper provides some guidelines, such as: Ensuring your flow is a process of merit. Letting goals dictate form. Organizing for readability. Focusing on action. Using simple, standard visuals. Illuminating features. And obviating responsiveness... To reap the winning rewards.

Green, R. Dennis. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs

The Pursuit of Efficient Technical Illustration  

In recent years new technology and ideas have presented technical illustrators with opportunities to increase the efficiency of their illustrations. This paper describes initiatives at Canadair, now part of the Bombardier Aerospace Group - North America, to increase the efficiency of technical illustration. It examines the impact on production, visual communication, and personnel and looks at some future opportunities. The objective at Canadair is to reduce production times while increasing the clarity of illustrations. Since the fundamental purpose of an illustration is to convey technical information we expect all new methods to aid visual communication as well as productivity.

Jackson, Martin. STC Proceedings (1996). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Recommendations for Charts and Graphics

The Recommendations for Chart and Graphic comprise guidelines for the use of charts, graphics, images, colors and text.

SAP Design Guild (2003). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs

Reglas Para Estropear un Gráfico

Los buenos gráficos son los que no se notan, los que soportan y enseñan los datos sin interferir con ellos. Repasamos algunas de las reglas para hacer mal un gráfico.

Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2002). (Spanish) Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs

Representing Content and Data in Wireframes

Visio practically groaned as I opened the wireframes for my current project, which were in something like the twentieth revision. It was the usual story--poorly defined requirements and business rules--and my project folder was fast becoming the poster child for Feature Creep Flu.

Brown, Dan. Boxes and Arrows (2004). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Scientific and Technical Illustrations, Text, and the Idea of Audience  

Although authoring agencies typically devote considerable effort to creating text for specific audiences and purposes, non-textual elements are often created trivially. Yet, many design theories could be successfully applied to the creation of transactional non-textual information. This paper offers an overview for and references to major theorists; it also serves as the theoretical basis for a presentation that emphasizes pragmatic applications of these principles in the design of non-textual information for specific audiences and purposes.

Rubens, Philip. STC Proceedings (1998). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Seven Things You Should Know About Data Visualization  

Data visualization is the graphical representation of information. Information technology combines the principles of visualization with powerful applications and large data sets to create sophisticated images and animations. Representing large amounts of disparate information in a visual form often allows you to see patterns that would otherwise be buried in vast, unconnected data sets. Data visualizations offer one way to harness infrastructure to find hidden trends and correlations that can lead to important discoveries. Visual literacy is an increasingly important skill, and data visualizations are another channel for students to develop their ability to process information visually.

Educause (2007). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Visual Rhetoric

Society for News Design

The Society for News Design (formerly the Society of Newspaper Design) is an international professional organization with more than 2,600 members in the United States, Canada and more than 50 other countries, divided into the 19 regions shown below.

SND. Organizations>Graphic Design>Journalism>Technical Illustration

The Society of Illustrators

To promote and stimulate interest in the art of illustration, past, present and future, and to give impetus generally toward high ideals in the art by means of exhibitions, lectures, educational programs, social intercourse, and in such other ways as may seem advisable.

Society of Illustrators, The. Organizations>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Spatial Representation in Two Dimensions: The Why and How of Projection

The perspective representation, which is also referred to as stereogram, is used when an object needs to be reproduced in a particularly descriptive and plastic way. In contrast to the technical drawing, which is defined in DIN 6 (ISO 5456-2) and divides the object into several independent views, the technical illustration combines all three sides of a workpiece in one representation. These advantages become especially evident, when the possibilities of digital photography cannot be applied for technical reasons. This happens, for example, when the object to be depicted is still in development and does not exist, yet.

ITEDO Software (2001). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Technical and Infographics

A collection of dozens of online resources for technical illustration and infographics.

DMoz. Resources>Directories>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Technical and Scientific Illustrations: From Pen to Computer  

A brief look at the 19th Century David M. Greene collection of engineering textbooks at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reveals how illustrations (1) conveyed messages to a specific audience, (2) addressed a subject, and (3) were designed for specific viewing contexts. The technology of computer-aided drawing has reestablished the importance of visual language in scientific documents.

Powley, William. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Graphic Design>History>Technical Illustration

Technical Illustration

A directory of online resources in technical illustration.

Google. Resources>Directories>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Technical Illustration And The Video Camera  

A video camera is an excellent tool for preparing technical illustrations and procedures. A video tape of a procedure provides chronological information. It provides visual images that can be used as the basis for technical illustrations. Visual images and details are recorded permanently so that they are not forgotten. The research information can be passed on to another author. A case study illustrates how a video tape can be used to document a procedure and produce electronic illustrations.

Schneider, Livingston S. STC Proceedings (1994). Presentations>Graphic Design>Video>Technical Illustration

Technical Illustration FAQ

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (along with answers) about technical illustration.

Foley, Richard. FAQs (1997). Careers>TC>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Ten Tips for Talking to Artists  

Explains some of the terminology used to describe graphics and explains the roles graphic designers play in the production of technical art.

Lyons, Chopeta C. Intercom (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Technical Illustration>Graphic Design

Texto, Tablas y Gráficos

No siempre un gráfico es el elemento más ilustrativo. Las frases escritas, las tablas y los gráficos tienen su propio lugar en el discurso de la construcción de la claridad y el entendimiento. 

Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2002). (Spanish) Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs

Thick and Thin Lines

The use of thick and thin lines is an important stylistic device in Technical Illustration.

ITEDO Software (1998). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Three-Dimensional Illustration for Technical Communicators    

You don't need to be a skilled illustrator to create effective 3-D graphics. Three-dimensional illustration allows the technical communicator to respond quickly to project changes and create imagery appropriate for most publications or multimedia. Burns' article shows the benefits of 3-D artwork and its potential for technical communicators.

Burns, Tom K. Intercom (2008). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>3D

Two-Point Perspective

In this lesson we are going to create a 2 Point Perspective view drawing of our subject working from plan and elevation view reference.

Hulsey, Kevin. Kevin Hulsey Illustration. Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Isometric

Using AutoCAD Drawings in CorelDraw  

Sometimes there are problems importing AutoCAD files. The following gives a few tips on correcting such problems.

Broz, Donald. Broz and Dian (2006). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Vectorization of Raster Data

There are various solutions available which allow the vectorization of raster data, such as scanned design drawings or manually created technical illustrations. What kind of problems can occur with vectorization?

ITEDO Software (2004). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration