Deck 4: Designing Documents, Slides, and Screens

Question 1

You want to visually compare a part to the whole.Which of the following visuals is the best one for this task?

A)A bar chart
B)A pie chart
C)A line graph
D)A table

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following strategies will help you create a successful PowerPoint presentation?

A)Use complete sentences
B)Use a dark background if the lights will be off
C)Use clear, concise language
D)Use animation as much as possible

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for document design?

A)As you plan, consider how your audience will use the document
B)Save lists and headings for the editing stage of your writing
C)Get feedback from potential readers
D)Use visuals to convey numerical data clearly and forcefully

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for creating a successful bar chart?

A)Always use different colors for different bars
B)Always label both horizontal and vertical axes
C)Always order the bars according to logic or chronology
D)Always make all the bars the same width

Question 5

You are planning a flier for distribution in Canada that will include a reply coupon.In which quadrant would it be MOST effective?

A)Upper left-hand corner
B)Upper right-hand corner
C)Lower left-hand corner
D)Lower right-hand corner

Question 6

You need your readers to focus on specific numbers.Which of the following visuals is the best one for this task?

A)A bar chart
B)A pie chart
C)A line graph
D)A table

Question 7

In which of the following circumstances would it be appropriate to use functional headings (rather than informative headings)?

A)Your readers are pressed for time and need to grasp information as quickly as possible.
B)You want to defuse emotions concerning sensitive issues.
C)You're writing a report for which no set format exists.
D)Your paragraphs are vivid enough to stand on their own.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate audience for a truncated graph?

A)Industry insiders
B)Experts in the field
C)General readers
D)Readers who follow the field closely

Question 9

You want to facilitate easy reading in the body of your document.Which of the following statements best describes the font choice you should make, and why you should make it?

A)A serif font is appropriate because the serifs look pleasingly decorative
B)A serif font is appropriate because the serifs help readers' eyes move from letter to letter
C)A sans serif font is appropriate because it is simpler than a serif font
D)A sans serif font is appropriate because it's commonly used in tables, which means it clearly conveys data

Question 10

Which parts of the page carry the most visual weight for readers in Western cultures?

A)The top left quadrant is the most important, and the bottom right quadrant is the second most important.
B)The middle of the page is most important because that's where the reader's attention is naturally drawn.
C)The left-hand side of the page, from top to bottom, is the most important.
D)The top right quadrant is the most important and the bottom left is the second most important.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a situation in which you should use ragged right margins?

A)You are writing a standard business document.
B)You're using very short line lengths.
C)You want your document to look like a professionally produced magazine.
D)You want to be able to easily revise the document.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for using color?

A)Avoid color in situations where reading comprehension is important
B)Avoid color combinations that confuse readers/viewers who are colorblind
C)Identify ideas according to common associations with color
D)Match colors to the moods they often evoke in readers/viewers

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for creating a brochure?

A)Use you-attitude and positive emphasis
B)Reduce the size of text to make it fit your available paper
C)Identify objections and brainstorm ways to deal with them
D)Use the Z pattern to determine where to place important elements

Question 14

Our short-term memory can only hold about seven bits of information at a time.This means that you should:

A)write no more than seven paragraphs.
B)use sentences of six words or less.
C)never write a document with more than seven points.
D)group large amounts of information into three to seven chunks.

Question 15

Which of the following is a good strategy for using color and decoration in visuals?

A)Include clip art as much as possible
B)Focus more on visual impact than on cultural associations
C)Consider corporate and professional associations for particular colors
D)Try to make your visuals as artistic as possible

Question 16

Which of the following is not a good strategy for creating a successful website?

A)Clearly indicate with a tag line what your business does
B)Treat your website like the first page of a newspaper
C)Understand that websites work as a kind of "link economy"
D)Provide users with at least five, and preferably more, distinct tasks they can do on your site

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of visual rhetoric?

A)It depends on internalized conventions and codes
B)Interpretations of it help form group identities
C)Conventional uses of it stifle innovation
D)It is shaped by social and cultural norms

Question 18

You want to compare items over time.Which of the following visuals is the best one for this task?

A)A bar chart
B)A pie chart
C)A line graph
D)A table

Question 19

Ideally, test a document for usability with at least five users.Who among the following is NOT one of those ideal test users?

A)A new employee with little formal education
B)An expert in the document's field
C)An older executive from a different department
D)A colleague who reads English as a second language

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of headings?

A)They break up the page, making it look less formidable and more interesting.
B)They enable your reader to see how the document is organized at a glance.
C)They help your reader to turn quickly to sections of special interest.
D)They make a document shorter.

Question 21

Colours on a computer screen look darker (less bright) than the same colours on paper.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for using dot charts productively?

A)Use them for small data sets
B)Use them to show correlations
C)Label both horizontal and vertical axes
D)Keep the dots small

Question 23

Photographs may come with copyright restrictions on the degree to which the photo can be altered.

Question 24

Generally speaking, visuals are interchangeable.

Question 25

Use numbered lists whenever possible, even when the number or sequence of items is not exact.

Question 26

Testing a draft with only a handful of users will miss the majority of problems in the document.

Question 27

Headings must be complete sentences.

Question 28

You need to adapt visuals from a hard copy report for a PowerPoint presentation.Which of the following strategies should you use?

A)Increase the complexity of the visuals
B)Retain figure numbers
C)Consider using charts instead of tables
D)Eliminate titles for visuals

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for creating a successful line graph?

A)Avoid using more than three lines on one graph
B)Label both axes
C)If time is a factor, assign it to the vertical axis
D)Use it to show frequency or distribution

Question 30

Tables are less memorable than graphs.

Question 31

You should use ragged right margins in business documents.

Question 32

Pie charts and bar charts should try to integrate perspective as much as possible, for the sake of visual interest.

Question 33

Although good document design may make a document easier to read, it has no effect on the business that is being transacted.

Question 34

A heading should summarize the material in the paragraphs under it.

Question 35

You should show your reader a visual before you discuss it in the body of your document.

Question 36

You want to use a bar chart to show winning and losing mutual fund choices.Which kind of bar chart is most appropriate for this task?

A)A paired bar chart
B)A grouped bar chart
C)A stacked bar chart
D)A deviation bar chart

Question 37

Your company's sales have increased substantially in BC, with the exception of Kelowna, where the sales have been almost nonexistent.Which of the following is the best title for a visual that tells the story of this contrast in sales in BC?

A)Sales
B)Strong Sales in BC
C)Problems in Kelowna
D)Strong Sales in BC, Excepting Kelowna

Question 38

George Miller has shown that people can easily process ten to twelve bits of information at a time.

Question 39

When designing a website, social impact should be at least as important as technical concerns.

Question 40

Connotations of colour vary among cultures.

Question 41

____________ fonts are good for titles and tables.

Question 42

In a(n) _____ system, the page is divided up into imaginary columns, and all the graphic elements are lined up within the columns.

Question 43

Good PowerPoint presentations mix templates (background designs).

Question 44

_____ is the empty space on the page that can be used to emphasize the material by separating it from the rest of the text.

Question 45

It is important for website design to remember that the web functions as a(n) __________ economy.

Question 46

A(n) ____________ is less memorable than a graph, but helps readers focus on specific numbers.

Question 47

In a PowerPoint presentation, try to use complete sentences.

Question 48

To find out if a document actually works for its intended audience, you should engage in _______ testing.

Question 49

Effective brochures repeat graphic elements throughout the brochure.

Question 50

In a letter or memo, centre main headings.

Question 51

The grid system can only be used for documents that use columns.

Question 52

A(n) _____ font has some letters that are wider than other letters; a(n) _____ font has each letter take up the same space.

Question 53

The most important elements in a document should be put in the middle of a page because the eye naturally focuses there.

Question 54

_____ margins have lines end in different places because word length is different.

Question 55

Use no more than two fonts in a single document.

Question 56

Words or short phrases that group points and divide your letter, memo, or report into sections are called _____.

Question 57

A graph that is missing part of its scale or that does not start at zero is known as a(n) __________ graph.

Question 58

Document design cannot be taken into account until the editing stage of the writing process.

Question 59

Headings and subheadings at any one level must all be parallel: all questions, for example, or all complete sentences.

Question 60

Putting parts of a document in small fonts may reflect poorly on the company issuing the document.

Question 61

Explain how a grid system aids in document design.

Question 62

Pre-drawn images that you can place in your word processing document are called _______________.

Question 63

A(n) ______________ uses images to create the bars in a bar chart.

Question 64

How do "image" brochures differ from "information" brochures?

Question 65

Identify four ways you can incorporate document design into your writing processes, and explain why these methods are important for creating successful documents.

Question 66

List eight guidelines for creating visually attractive documents, and explain why these guidelines work.

Question 67

Decorations that are irrelevant to visuals and that, at worst, may mislead the reader are called ______________.

Question 68

Why should important elements in a document be placed in the top left and lower right quadrants?

Question 69

______ headings describe general topics or functions; _____ headings add information and interest.

Question 70

If you need to show a very large or very small item in a photograph, make sure you also include a(n) __________________.

Question 71

Identify the nine steps you should use to create effective brochures, and explain why they are important.

Question 72

Why should the use of words set in all capital letters be limited?

Question 73

When you refer to a visual in a document, make sure you mention its ____________ number.

Question 74

List six guidelines to follow when designing PowerPoint slides, and explain why these guidelines will lead to successful presentations.

Question 75

____________ bar charts sum the components of an item.

Question 76

To align items vertically on your page, use ___________, not spacing.

Question 77

_______________ are good visuals to use to show dimensions (especially underground, undersea, or in the atmosphere) or to emphasize detail.

Question 78

Why should you use headings in documents?

Question 79

_________________ are good visual choices for creating a sense of authenticity or showing an item in use.

Question 80

How should you determine whether to use justified or unjustified margins?