With the lawn chemical problem, I was trying to make a visual information graphic that would be a lot more simplified than the complicated map that we did in class. Although the map did organize the information and get us from point A to point B, (what was going on with the lawn, and what chemical we should use to fix it) this would probably not be the best thing to put on the back of a lawn product bag. So, with this graphic, I was trying to achieve the same information, in a way that is simple and easier to understand.
I know that in class the professor always emphasizes using the least amount of information to communicate a message. I had an idea of what i wanted to do in my head, but couldn't figure it out on paper, because it was mathematical and i am not a math person. So i simply just started to make a chart to organize the information using graphics. I figured most people in the united states can understand numbers, so i stuck with the + or -90 degrees. I then drew rain drops on a lawn or raindrops crossed out for wet and dry lawn, and drew bugs and bugs crossed out for pests or no pests. As i finished the chart, i realized the entire page was filled with information, and although it was symbols as opposed to words, it was a lot to process.
I then went back to my initial idea, which was to do a times table like we did when we were little to learn multiplication. I thought of how i could do this, and realized if i split up the information into +90, and -90, I would then only have 4 pieces of information (wet, dry, pests, no pests) and would be able to do these times tables. Instead of having to draw each symbol over and over again, i only have to draw each one twice.
I was happy that I truly went thought this process and learned a lot about cognitive load. I finally really realized what the professor meant by this concept. I think that even being an outsider looking at the two different pictures would feel a lot less stressed when looking at the second , less confusing graphic. I was proud with my final product and working through the problem.
