ENVI 101: Nature and Society: Create Visuals

Nature and Society
Spring 2023

Basics of Visual Design

Bill Shander
Data Visualization Storytelling. (online course through Williams' LinkedIn)  
Amy Balliett
Learning Infographic Design. (online course through Williams' LinkedIn) 
 Amy Balliett
Data Vizualization Best Practices.(online course through Williams' LinkedIn) 
Orana Velarde (Visme.co) 
How to make an infographic

Learning More

Readings

Online Courses

LinkedIn Learning offers many tutorials and courses on a wide variety of topics. Williams College has full access to LinkedIn Learning and is available to the College community using your Williams credentials. Below are a selection of courses relevant to creating effective presentations.  

Visual Design Tools @ Williams

Software specific to visual design are available in Williams computer classrooms and spaces across campus. These include: 

Presentation tools: 

  • Microsoft Powerpoint
  • Google Slides

Graphic design tools:

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Inkscape

Images editing tools: 

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • GIMP

Complete list of computer labs

Complete list of software available in computer labs

Williams also offers software and production/post-production spaces for audio/video composition. 

Help

When starting a visual presentation, you may consult with an STC at the Sawyer CET Student Help Desk for basic assistance with the software above.

For questions about design principles or techniques, please contact an Academic Technology Specialist to discuss your project and select the tool best suited to your goals.

Specific people to talk to:

Visual Design Tools Beyond Williams

There are many graphic design and publishing products available beyond those provided at Williams. When looking at these commerical products you will need to consider the type of access available - is it a free product? does it allow sharing? does it allow file imports/exports? and so on.  ​If you have questions about a commercial product for use beyond Williams please consult with an Academic Technology Specialist to discuss your project and select the tool best suited to your goals. 

Here are some suggestion of starting points: 

  • Google Slides (comes with standard Google account)
  • Inkscape (free / open source)
  • GIMP (free / open source)
  • Prezi 
    No Williams subscription. You can use the free mode to create basic presentations. Advanced features require a subscription.  
  • Infographic tools: 19 incredible options 
    Infographic creation tools from easy to professional. Many offer free start-up or trial options to create basic designs. 
  • 35 incredible dataviz tools
    List of most frequently used data visualization tools. Many offer free start-up or trial options to create basic designs.