Visual representation and communication

There is great potential for graphics to present quantities, processes, and spatial relations that make knowledge communication more effective through simple to complex visual languages. Visual representation conveys certain messages, directly or metaphorically. An effective visual representation communicates with users by offering core messages and other embedded qualities. These embedded qualities generate interest in the topics/issues, create desirable energy for seeking more knowledge in depth, and enable readers to explore their favorable influences. It is no longer enough to consider a visual representation to be merely attractive or pleasing; it also has to be designed in a way to effectively tell stories in order to better play its role as an information carrier and to meet users’ needs for multiple modes of usage. This study examines the ways in which visual explanation both tells stories and presents their underlying meanings. Visual information design not only presents concepts and events across time but also disseminates information widely through various media. This case study investigates various visual depictions of fertility rates and observes the causes and effects of viewers’ decision making. The total fertility rates in Taiwan dropped dramatically from 1951 to 2006, according to the Department of Household Registration Affairs, Ministry of Interior (MOI), Taiwan. This drop not only will render the aging population greater than other age groups in the near future, but also greatly changes social, economic, and environmental progress in this region. This study’s small effort in the information design field will help create a link between practitioners’ intelligence and researchers’ suggestions, thereby helping enhance the effectiveness of visual communication.