This study was designed to investigate the influence of the visual display of an instructional design model on preservice teachers' perceptions of the instructional design process. It sought to discover whether the use of curves or angular organization, and flexibility of that model. Subjects were 36 undergraduate education majors enrolled in an introductory education class at a 4-year university. Students were first assessed on their initial knowledge and perceptions of the instructional design (ID) process. Students were then given a 3-hour introduction to ID. Afterwards, their perceptions were assessed again. Students viewed first one and then the second of two visual depictions of the Smith-Ragan ID model. One was drawn with curved lines and ovals and the other was formed with straight lines and rectangles. Half of the students were given the curve/oval model first, completed the assessment, and were then given the straight/rectangle model and asked the same questions. The other half of the students were presented with the models in reverse order. Results indicated that: preservice teachers changed their responses between the pretest and posttest assessing their perceptions of flexibility, organization, and value of the ID process; the straight/rectangle model was perceived to be more organized; and a majority of the students indicated a preference for the curve/oval model as the "best model to represent the ID process" and "choice of model to use to teach the ID process." (Contains nine figures.) (AEF)