This paper proposes that three properties of graphic materials can be manipulated by instructional designers to model cognitive processes and thus help students learn. These properties are: the distance of elements in the graphic display from each other, the orientation of the elements to each other, and the sequence in which the elements are encountered. Research from the last 15 years regarding these properties is surveyed and discussed. Studies of imagery, the symbolic distance effect, eye movement, semantic distance, and diagrams are included. The survey presents evidence for parallels and analogies between the form of graphic material that is presented to or imaged by learners, and the way it is processed. This leads to the conclusion that the form graphic materials take influences the learning strategy that the learner uses more than the form of internal representation. (Author)