# PWR-160 — Visual composition: learner worksheet Release: Revision 7T · Full Tutorial Edition Estimated time: Estimated 36 min reading and worksheet pass Difficulty: Intermediate Equipment: Common household or practice equipment — Brief A — Repair café. Title: “Repair café.” Date: “Saturday 18 October, 10:00–14:00.” Place: “Riverside Hall.” Description: “Volunteers will inspect one small household item. Repair is not guaranteed.” Action: “Book a free 20-minute slot.”; Brief B — Winter-planning meeting. Title: “Winter planning meeting.” Date: “Thursday 6 November, 18:30–20:00.” Place: “Oak Room, Central Library.” Description: “Residents will choose two priorities for safer winter travel and assign volunteers to the next survey.” Action: “Read the two-page briefing before you attend.”; Brief C — Seed swap. Title: “Community seed swap.” Date: “Sunday 22 February, 11:00–13:00.” Place: “Market Hall.” Description: “Exchange home-grown vegetable and flower seeds. Label each packet with the plant name and harvest year.” Action: “Bring up to five labelled packets; no booking is needed.”; One sheet of paper and marker, or accessible layout software with alignment guides and a grayscale preview.; A five-second test sheet with spaces for viewer, first item noticed, action found, incorrect detail and unreadable detail. Space: Room-scale practice space Automated structural checklist: 10 of 10 structural checks present Evidence quality/context: G1; Detailed research depth Automated method-quality band: Comprehensive Method-rating basis: Structure coverage, instruction/check specificity, alternative distinctness, source troubleshooting, comparison depth and whether purpose/check fields are authored rather than derived. Editorial review: Pending manual editorial sign off ## Before you begin - [ ] I read the tutorial authority and stop conditions. - [ ] I have the required equipment/space or a declared accessible alternative. ## Canonical source context This lesson teaches composition for a declared communication goal. You will set the viewer task, create hierarchy, align related elements, use contrast and whitespace, test at target size and revise from viewer performance rather than taste alone. Target outcome: The learner produces a one-page event card on which three test viewers find the main message and action within five seconds and read all required details correctly. ### Authority and setup conditions - Use Brief A exactly as written for the first lesson; do not solve a wording problem by deleting required information. - Choose one target size: an A5 printed page or a 390-pixel-wide phone screen. Keep that size for every comparison. - Write: “Within five seconds the viewer should find ‘Bring one broken item’; next they should find ‘Book a free 20-minute slot.’” - Arrange for one diagnostic viewer and three different final viewers who consent to the short test. - Record that the wording is supplied fictional material and that any added visual asset must be learner-owned or openly licensed. ### Required or supplied materials - Brief A — Repair café. Title: “Repair café.” Date: “Saturday 18 October, 10:00–14:00.” Place: “Riverside Hall.” Description: “Volunteers will inspect one small household item. Repair is not guaranteed.” Action: “Book a free 20-minute slot.” - Brief B — Winter-planning meeting. Title: “Winter planning meeting.” Date: “Thursday 6 November, 18:30–20:00.” Place: “Oak Room, Central Library.” Description: “Residents will choose two priorities for safer winter travel and assign volunteers to the next survey.” Action: “Read the two-page briefing before you attend.” - Brief C — Seed swap. Title: “Community seed swap.” Date: “Sunday 22 February, 11:00–13:00.” Place: “Market Hall.” Description: “Exchange home-grown vegetable and flower seeds. Label each packet with the plant name and harvest year.” Action: “Bring up to five labelled packets; no booking is needed.” - One sheet of paper and marker, or accessible layout software with alignment guides and a grayscale preview. - A five-second test sheet with spaces for viewer, first item noticed, action found, incorrect detail and unreadable detail. ## 1. Write the viewer task Complete the sentence: “Within five seconds, the viewer should find ___; next they should ___.” Why: A composition can be judged only against a declared communication goal. Success check: The task names one first focus and one next action. Accessible alternative: Complete “Complete the sentence: “Within five seconds, the viewer should find ___; next they should ___.”” in shorter passes, or use keyboard input, dictation or a support person, while preserving this success check: “The task names one first focus and one next action.” Keep the information order meaningful without colour and write alt text for any meaningful image. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 2. Rank the content Label each item primary, secondary or supporting. Remove anything that does not serve the viewer task. Why: Hierarchy begins with information priority, not decoration. Success check: Only one item is primary and every remaining item has a role. Accessible alternative: A supported, seated, reduced-range or slower version of “Label each item primary, secondary or supporting. Remove anything that does not serve the viewer task.” is equivalent only when it keeps the same trained or measured target, declared configuration and success check: “Only one item is primary and every remaining item has a role.” If any of those change, record it as a related alternative rather than an equivalent repetition. Alternative relationship: Conditional equivalence requires target and configuration check Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 3. Place the focal point Put the primary item where it can dominate by size, position or contrast, then view the page from arm’s length. Why: A single focal point guides the first glance. Success check: The primary item is found first without covering required detail. Accessible alternative: A supported, seated, reduced-range or slower version of “Put the primary item where it can dominate by size, position or contrast, then view the page from arm’s length.” is equivalent only when it keeps the same trained or measured target, declared configuration and success check: “The primary item is found first without covering required detail.” If any of those change, record it as a related alternative rather than an equivalent repetition. Alternative relationship: Conditional equivalence requires target and configuration check Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 4. Align related elements Choose one or two alignment lines and attach related date, place and action elements to them. Avoid almost-aligned edges. Why: Consistent alignment shows which items belong together. Success check: Related elements share visible edges or centres and unrelated items have deliberate separation. Accessible alternative: A spoken or tactile version of “Choose one or two alignment lines and attach related date, place and action elements to them. Avoid almost-aligned edges.” can rehearse the response sequence, but it removes the declared visual stimulus and is therefore a related activity, not an equivalent attempt at Visual composition. To preserve the target, keep the authored visual stimulus and adapt only non-target access such as response input, instructions, breaks or support; retain this success check: “Related elements share visible edges or centres and unrelated items have deliberate separation.” Alternative relationship: Related alternative changes trained or measured target Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 5. Use contrast with redundancy Make the action distinct using at least two cues such as weight plus border or size plus icon. Check a grayscale view. Why: Redundant cues preserve meaning when colour is unavailable. Success check: The action remains identifiable in grayscale and without colour naming. Accessible alternative: Replace spoken or audio cues with visible text, captions or haptic timing while keeping the same sequence and success check. This lesson's five-second visual check is not suitable as the only test for blind or low-vision users; test the delivered format with appropriate access users and methods. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 6. Protect whitespace and reading Increase space between groups and keep type at the declared readable size. Remove decoration before shrinking text. Why: Whitespace separates groups; tiny type transfers burden to the viewer. Success check: All required text remains readable at target size with clear group spacing. Accessible alternative: A spoken or tactile version of “Increase space between groups and keep type at the declared readable size. Remove decoration before shrinking text.” can rehearse the response sequence, but it removes the declared visual stimulus and is therefore a related activity, not an equivalent attempt at Visual composition. To preserve the target, keep the authored visual stimulus and adapt only non-target access such as response input, instructions, breaks or support; retain this success check: “All required text remains readable at target size with clear group spacing.” Alternative relationship: Related alternative changes trained or measured target Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 7. Run a five-second test Show the layout to a consented viewer for five seconds, hide it, then ask what they saw first and what action they would take. Why: Viewer task performance tests hierarchy more directly than asking “Do you like it?” Success check: The viewer returns the primary message and action without prompting. Accessible alternative: Complete “Show the layout to a consented viewer for five seconds, hide it, then ask what they saw first and what action they would take.” in shorter passes, or use keyboard input, dictation or a support person, while preserving this success check: “The viewer returns the primary message and action without prompting.” Keep the information order meaningful without colour and write alt text for any meaningful image. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 8. Revise one cause If the viewer misses an item, change only hierarchy, alignment, contrast or spacing and repeat with a new viewer. Why: One-variable revision links the design change to the observed error. Success check: A new viewer succeeds without a new content error or access loss. Accessible alternative: Complete “If the viewer misses an item, change only hierarchy, alignment, contrast or spacing and repeat with a new viewer.” in shorter passes, or use keyboard input, dictation or a support person, while preserving this success check: “A new viewer succeeds without a new content error or access loss.” This lesson's five-second visual check is not suitable as the only test for blind or low-vision users; test the delivered format with appropriate access users and methods. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## Reflection What changed? ________________________________________________________________________________ What remains difficult? ________________________________________________________________________________ What will I repeat, adapt, ask for help with, or stop? ________________________________________________________________________________ --- Completion of this worksheet demonstrates tutorial participation only. It does not establish capability, qualification, safety clearance, diagnosis, treatment or independent validation.