Another way to reduce complexity is to make sure that elements that represent the criteria of a concept or components of a principle standout in some way. Non-critical elements should be eliminated if possible, but sometimes they are necessary to establish a context for the critical elements. Using bolder lines, color, or a higher level of detail are several ways to make sure critical elements are obvious. The bottom graphic to the left uses a simple but effective strategy to highlight the elements important to the instructional objective. The illustration is organized to reflect the conceptual or real-world organization of the information.
Organization entails more than grouping and highlighting critical elements.
Visual organization should reveal the process, hierarchy, or spatial organization of the elements depicted. Examples of processes that are commonly represented graphically include cause and effect, cycles, decision trees, and chronologies. Lines and arrows connecting words or pictures are good at revealing the direction and sequence of a process. Several strategies are at work to indicate how energy flows through a biological ecosystem. Arrows show the path of energy flow.