Components of a Visualisation Diagram

A visualisation diagram is a pre-production sketch that shows the components of a media product and explains how they should look. It is a plan, not the finished item, so images, photographs and graphics are shown as quick sketches rather than polished assets.

Layout and annotation

The layout and positioning of every element are shown, so the designer can see where each item will sit on the product. A poster for a school book swap might show the headline across the top, a sketched stack of books in the centre and the event details at the bottom.

Annotation is written notes on the diagram that explain the colours, the images and other details the designer needs. For example, an arrow to the background could say “pale yellow, flat colour” or a note beside the book sketch could say “show children’s books, bright spines”. Annotations are instructions for whoever makes the final product, so a change described in an annotation does not have to be carried out on the sketch itself.

Text and typography

Typography information records the font style, the font size and whether text is in capitals. The actual text is written onto the diagram, such as the title, slogan or headline, instead of leaving an empty labelled box. Writing “Book Swap Saturday” shows the designer the real words and how much space they need.

Extra components

Extra components depend on the product. A diagram may need a logo; a film rating or classification with key credits; a price, barcode, publication date or issue number; an ISBN; or cover lines giving short descriptive text about features.

In a digital diagram, images may be ones the client already owns or stock images used before a licence is bought. Stock images often carry a watermark at this stage, and a licence for the high-resolution version is bought for the final product.