Designing Instructional Images

From: http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/what-motivates-people-to-learn.jpg

This semester, we will be considering how to design a variety graphics for instructional purposes (representative, organizational, interpretive, transformative).  Since instructional images are designed to improve performance, it makes sense that you would need to consider:

1. the audience
2. instructional goals and objectives
3. instructional strategies 
4. instructional methods, and
5. instructional media

Malcolm Grear's design firm has been creating images for graphic design, identity, and web design for many years. In this short video, he discusses the importance of research and audience when working on a design project for a client.  Please listen to what he has to say about the design process: http://vimeo.com/22305236

In thinking about your own educational experience, how often have you seen images used? How were the images used to improve performance or aid understanding in some way?

Do you think there is any point to decorative images, or should we ban them from clipart? How might you use instructional images to help your learners better understand a particular body of knowledge?