The first story board I composed consisted of one of the four pictures.  I decided to pick a picture that interested me personally which was the children playing soccer.  I have a strong passion for sports and felt I could closely relate to the topic.  I placed the picture in the second frame of my story board to show the progression of age through time.  I named the story board Practice Makes Perfect because I showed the process of what it takes to be crowned FIFA World Champion.  This assignment was enjoyable and allowed me to think freely.

The second story board I made is similar to my first but on a different aspect of sports as a whole.  The name of this story is Every Team has a Coach which highlights the importance of a leader.  I chose the same picture from the previous story board with the addition of the black male with his hands crossed.  I portrayed the man as praying for his team to win the game.  Since coaches do not always win, the last picture I chose resembles their importance. Every team has a coach to keep their players head up and to make the best of every situation, regardless of the outcome.  For this assignment, I looked at the four pictures we were able to choose from and picked the ones I felt were closely related.  I do not feel any of the other pictures could have been compiled into a story board unless they are going from subject-to-subject.  For both of my story boards I chose Moment-to-Moment because I like to show progression over time.  I enjoyed this assignment because it made me feel like I was writing a childrens novel.

Simple Tables: What is your favorite form of caffeine while studying for finals?

This assignment was easy to gather information because I already had a survey of the junior classes preference when it comes to energy drinks while studying for finals.  I utilized survey monkey and then put my information in a chart on Excel.  According to Tufte, I feel he would choose the bar graph because it is easy to distinguish the differences between each option.  The bar graph uses minimal space and is simplicsitc compared to the other graphics. I feel if I made the colors different for each option it would help identify each option.  However, I feel the pie chart does not clarify whether Monster or Red Bull is more popular because the sections look identical to eachother.  I feel the line gragh is easy to understand but like the pie chart, it is hard to distinguish the difference between Monster and Red Bull.  This assignment was fun because it allows you to physically see the difference between each student's response.

How to Research Dual-Coding using Google Scolar

After completing the Amazon flow chart, I realized that Google is much more user friendly and involves less steps. I decided to research dual-coding and the first link available was by Allan Paivio.  I utilized the same shapes with the addition of the Document shape because it represents the information I researched.  Before I started the steps, I went through the process and wrote down every necessary action to find the correct document regarding dual-coding.  I also used red and orange to represent warm colors that show you are on track as well as blue (cold color) to resemble you need to take another course of action.  I felt this assignment was beneficial because I have never used Google scholar in my life; It appears to be very valuable.

How to Buy a Book on Amazon

 My first flow chart reduces the cognitive load by utilizing colors and a unique arrangement.  I used a combination of Preparation (Hexagon) and Terminator (oval) shapes to start the beginning and end of the process. I also drew the Process shape (square) to show the basic steps.  This was a fun exercise but I felt the aha moment after I completed the assignment.   After I finished coloring in my sketch, I realized it almost looked like a person either dancing or sitting in a chair. So....

...I made a mock advertisement that I feel could possibly be used in a magazine. 

Information Graphic

Prior to starting this assignment I was unsure whether to create my own graphic or edit one already made.  I decided to compose my own which consisted of the Inter-Class Council.  This is an organization of which is a big part of my life.  I decided to take a snapshot of the General Assembly meetings as each student is sitting in their actual seat.  The audience of my graphic appeals to incoming freshmen looking to get involved.  Looking at this graphic, the cognitive load is overwhelmed because the information is not organized in a manner that can be easily understood.  I then took the actual seating chart and composed an organizational hierarchy which reduced the cognitive load.  I felt that this was going to be my final graphic until I realized I could simplify the information even more.  I researched a strategic business unit and found that I could minimize the amount of lines that connected each position.  As I reflected on each graphic I was able to find ways to reduce the cognitive load.  This assignment taught me a lot about how information can be perceived pre-attentively as well as the importance of reflecting upon my own work.

How to make pasta!

When I started this project, I felt that it would be easier to use graphic pictures to show the steps of how to make pasta.  I printed out the 20 pictures and soon after realized that they were not going to fit into my sketchbook. Instead of wasting more paper, I used construction paper and put everything together on it.  Since I am not the greatest artist in the world, I felt it would be easier to describe the steps using graphical pictures from the web.  With this assignment, I attempted to teach an illiterate person how to make pasta without words.  I used +, =, and various arrows to show the process in simple steps. My thought process was very basic and feel that the steps can be followed by an adolescent.  I feel this assignment was very straight forward which allowed my thought process to be as well.  I first wrote down everything that cooking pasta involves and found pictures that thoroughly represented the necessary steps. I personally enjoyed this experience because making pasta is my favorite food to cook.  Prior to gluing the pictures, I laid them out formally over the construction paper to make sure they are in the correct order.  I then glued each down and used yellow paint, allowing for the reader to easily follow step by step.