Chapter 12: Creating Reader-Centered Graphics
& Writer's Reference Guide: Creating Twelve Types of Reader-Centered Graphics

Extra Exercise Online 12.4

The goal of this exercise is to give you experience applying Chapter 12's guidelines when creating graphics to meet the needs of particular readers.

The Exercise

Infant Formula Contents: You are on a nutrition team at a pharmaceutical company that is planning to introduce a new infant formula. As a part of background research, your company has conducted a survey of women pregnant for the first time. The purpose of the survey is to assess the awareness of this group for the nutrients that infants need and do not need from a formula.

The results are shown. Each nutrient was read to the respondents, and they were asked whether or not that nutrient was important for an infant to receive. Also noted in this chart is whether the nutrient is, in fact, currently an accepted ingredient in infant formulas.

Nutrient Yes, important % No, not important % Accepted ingredient
yes or no
Protein 99 1 yes
Fat 92 8 yes
Water 100 0 yes
Vitamin A 90 10 yes
Vitamin D 88 12 yes
Vitamin B1 87 13 yes
Niacin 96 4 yes
Lead 4 96 no
Vitamin C 98 2 yes
Choline 54 46 yes
Chlorine 98 2 no
Chloride 60 40 yes
Calcium 98 2 yes
Copper 53 47 yes
Iron 99 1 yes

Your Assignment

The nutrients that are included in the new formula have already been determined, and include all the nutrients labeled "yes" above. Some concerns were raised among your team that any mothers at all would think that lead and chlorine are important nutrients. You have yet to formulate a plan to address those concerns, but you would like a report ready for the marketing department that illustrates the results of the above survey.

Design graphics to accompany the above data in the report. Use whatever graphs or charts you think would help convey the essential information.