Flow Chart

We come in contact with Flow Charts all the time in our lives. Whether they’re used to provide vital instructions, such as a proper emergency evacuation routine, or for for non-important instruction, helping answer a question such as “Should I go out this weekend?”, flow charts are used quite frequently.

Prior to being given this assignment to create a Flow Chart indicating the proper steps that a second semester freshman must complete in order to register for classes, I had come in contact with and could easily identify a Flow Chart if need be. However familiar I was with Flow Charts, I learned that I did not quite understand the details and requirements of a proper Flow Chart. A major aspect of that I learned in the completion of this assignment was the importance of shape. In creating a Flow Chart, the specific shapes that one utilizes throughout the process is a very important component.

Three shapes that I used in creating this Flow Chart included an oval, a diamond, and a rectangle. Each of these shapes have different meanings and hold specific purposes. The oval shape, named the Terminator, marks either the beginning and the end of a Flow Chart. The diamond, referred to as a Decision Diamond, is used to propose a question with either a yes or no outcome. The third shape, named a Process Rectangle, is used to indicate a specific process that must be performed in order to move on to the next step.

As I stated before, I had not been aware of the differing shapes and meanings used throughout Flow Charts. Completing this assignment with a number of drafts and organization, it was definitely the differing shapes and the organization of these shapes that proved to be the most challenging process.

Story Boards

Upon receiving the assignment to create a multiple storyboards, I was actually pretty excited. It is not every class that one of the assignments I must complete includes drawing and sketching, things that I have enjoyed doing throughout the entirety of my life.

In the instructions, I was given four pictures to choose from. The images included (1) four boys in soccer pinnies that seem to be lined up to receive a returning ball, (2) four individuals wearing masks in the midst of an eerie opaque fog, (3) a side view of a man praying, (4) a young girl facing the camera through a narrow path of foliage.

In creating the first storyboard, I was instructed to select one photo of the four images and create a four panel storyboard utilizing any of the six transitions that we learned in Scott McCloud’s “Understanding Comics”: (1) Actions-to-Action, (2) Subject-to-Subject, (3) Scene-to-Scene, (4) Aspect-to-Aspect, (5) Moment-to-Moment, and (6) Non-Sequitur.

In Storyboard #1, I created a story based around the photograph of the four boys playing soccer. In the first frame, I drew a close up picture of a soccer ball being kicked around by someone’s foot. In the second frame, I displayed the action of a second soccer player kicking the shin of the leg that was drawn in the first frame. Within these two frames, I presented an Action-to-Action transition. The third frame, I showed a referee blowing a whistle. Between the second and third, I displayed a Subject-to-Subject transition, showing what happens sequentially from one subject to another. The last frame, which is where included the given photo of the four boys lined up to receive a penalty shot, is where I display another Subject-to-Subject transition.

In the second storyboard, I was instructed to use two of the given photos and create a four frame storyboard connecting them using the transitions explained by McCloud. In the beginning frame, I drew an image of an airplane dropping a bomb from the air. The second frame is where I included the image of the four figures walking in the opaque fog. Between the first two frames, I displayed a Subject-to-Subject transition. The third frame, I drew church with the words, “The Next Day…” written at the top. From frames two and three, I displayed a Scene-to-Scene transition. The fourth and final frame is where I utilized the photo of the man praying. The transition between the third and fourth frames is Aspect-to-Aspect, showing what is happening inside the church at the exact moment that I showed the outside of the church in the third frame.

In creating the storyboard, I found it rather simple to create story lines that connected with the images however identifying which transitions applied within each storyboard was what proved to be challenging. When begging to create storyboards, I thought that one would probably seldom try to identify and determine which types of transitions however now I have a better understanding of transitions and how each one functions.

“How To” Assignment

For this assignment, I was instructed to create a “How To” Graphic what would instruct how to properly make Rice Crispy Squares to an audience of non-English speaking children (ages 7-12). Being given this information, I understood how essential it was to convey my instructions in a methodological way: using symbols, utilizing colors, and limiting the use of words to strictly product and brand-names.

Throughout completing this assignment, the rhetorical situation was definitely an extremely relevant factor. Recognizing and purposefully acknowledging Purpose, Audience, and Context was a played a prominent role in the development of this visualization.

Purpose. The primary purpose of this visualization was to instruct one step-by-step how to make Rice Crispy Squares. To be honest, before starting this assignment, I did not know how to make Rice Crispy Squares myself however, not to my surprise, there are quite a few steps to making these delicious treats. Unlike creating a visualization of “How To: Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwhich,” which we were instructed to do in class, I noticed that the process of making Rice Crispy Squares included at least ten steps that included semi-complex actions to express through drawings such as “stirring” and “letting them cool.” Addressing the possible confusion of these involved and specific steps of making these sweets, I was aware that another purpose of this visualization was to increase the simplicity and clarity. In order to accomplish this, I took approach the approach of creating a checklist at the top, introducing all the necessary items for the process.

Audience. As stated before, the target audience are those between the ages of 7-12. Because of this, I, again, focused on simplicity. Throughout creating this visual, I decided to eliminate elements that may semi-complex to such a young audience. One of these elements that I eliminated were specific measurements. I decided early on in this visualization that trying to include specific cooking measurements were essentially irrelevant and would be difficult to explain to such a young audience using only visuals. Although eliminating cooking measurements from my visualization, I also took into account that, because of the age of my audience, there would most likely be parental supervision who would be able to beneficially guide the entire process and judge the most accurate cooking measurements for this specific situation.

Context. For this assignment. I was instructed that I would be hypothetically creating this visualization for a Magazine Publishing company. Taking this context into account, I understood that I must pay attention to the layout of my visual. First, I understood that a title addressing the purpose of my visualization was a must. Next, I took into account what we discussed in class: how one reads. In class we recognized the patterns that viewers are typically inclined to understand most clearly and one of these patterns is the F-Pattern. The F-Pattern refers to a normal reading pattern, continually left to right.

Throughout completing this assignment, I found required elements both difficult to face yet enjoyable to overcome. Putting myself in the place of the target audience, I found interesting to step back and force myself to view the simplicity of the visualization and work from then on.

Collage Reflection

Creating a collage from magazines I found around my house, I had a very acute range of images to choose from. A magazine I selected from my father’s collection was “Sup,” containing copious images of water activities including paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking, as well as many outdoor adventuring excursions. From my mother’s collection, “Yankee,” a magazine issue dominantly about enjoying Autumn festivities, was the second source of my collage. Being very similar to both my mother and father, enjoying the outdoors and adventuring, this collage very much represented me as an individual.

Creating a collage is one thing; being told to describe the collage after three days of seeing these images countless times is another. If I were instructed to describe the collage I created in class immediately after creating it, I would have probably came up with different themes and patterns that I had ultimately chosen. At first, I believe I would have chosen words such as “Water, Rocks, Fall, Food, etc.,” however after a few days I believe that the patterns I saw became a little less literal and more abstract. The words I had chosen to describe the patterns and themes in my collage were as follows: Adventure, Exploration, Authentic, and Happiness.

An additional aspect of the assignment was to have five of my peers look at my collage and identify patterns and themes that were evident to them. Among my peers, the collective group of patterns and themes included “Adventurous, Colorful, Nostalgic, Fun, Travel, Outdoors, Overlap, Food, Oceans, Vacations, Travel, Home, Cooking, Rustic, Cuisine, and Nature.”

As I suspected, the word “Adventure” was repeated amongst my peers and I (“Adventure” was actually repeated five times). To my surprise, however, there were many variations of the same patterns and themes. I realized that my peers and I may have interpreted the same patterns in different ways, which I found very interesting. For example, as I chose the word “Authentic” to express the the natural, hand-made aspects of my collage, such as the seemingly hand-drawn map and the man-made fire, my peers chose words such as “Rustic” and “Nature,” which I found to be interestingly similar. Another example of these similarities included my use of the word, “Happiness” which, I interpret, to be very closely related to other students’ use of the words, “Nostalgic” and “Fun,” all having a light-hearted, bright feel to them.

One of the major differences that I noticed is that one of my peers used the word “Vacation.” Creating my collage and examining the patterns and themes, the word “Vacation” never came to mind. Although including images of people surfing, a man creating a campfire, a bird’s eye view of a winding road through autumn leaves, and a map, I never associated the pattern “Vacation” throughout the collage. Personally, when I think of the activities expressed throughout my collage I strongly see the pattern of “Adventure” while “Vacation,” strikes a feeling of relaxation, unwinding, and peacefulness; an entirely different aspect of the word.

It is very interesting that looking at the same set of images can have so many different patterns and themes associated with it because of each person’s unique perspective. I believe that this is something surprising yet extremely important to understand because in Visual Communications, things can often relay differing messages to audiences than the creator originally intended.

Collage