designing reader- focused documents c h a p t e r 10
TRANSCRIPT
Designing Reader-Focused Documents
C H A P T E R 10
• What are the Principles of Design?• How Do You Plan Your Document Design?• What Considerations Are Involved in
Designing the Whole Document?• What Considerations Are Involved in
Designing Each Page?
Presentation Overview
• Contrast • Repetition• Alignment• Proximity
What Are the Principles of Design?
• Means that different items on the page should be designed to appear differently
HeadingThis is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text, arranged in paragraph format.
This is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text.
Bad Example
Contrast
• Adds visual interest• Shows how a
document is organized
HeadingThis is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text, arranged in paragraph format.
This is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text, arranged in paragraph format. This is body text.
Good Example
Contrast
Heading___________________________________________________
Subheading_________________________________
Subheading___________________________________________________
Bad Example
Heading___________________________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ _________________
Good Example
Contrast
For this year’s company picnic, we still need to purchase hot dogs, hot dog buns, condiments, chips, sodas, marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.
Bad Example
For this year’s company picnic, we still need to purchase hot dogs, hot dog buns, condiments, chips, sodas, marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.
Good Example
Contrast
• Means that some aspect of the design should be repeated or that similar items on the page should be designed to appear the same
• Also known as “consistency”
Repetition
__________________________________________________
Heading_________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ ________________ _________________
Heading___________________________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ ________________ _________________
Repetition
Bad Example
1 2
________________ _________________ _________________
Heading_________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ ________________ _________________
Heading___________________________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ ________________ _________________
Repetition
Good Example
1 2
• Unifies a document• Adds visual interest by making the document
appear more polished
Repetition
• Means that every item should be aligned with the edge of another item on the page
Photo by Fred Hendriks, 2009 Suhtterstock Images, LLC
Alignment
Heading_______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bad Example
Alignment
Heading _________ ______ _______ ________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bad Example
Heading ______ _____ ______ ________ __________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Good Example
Alignment
Figure 1: Iceberg
Bad Example
Figure 1: Iceberg
Good Example
Centered_______________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bad Example
Right Aligned_______________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bad Example
Alignment
Flush Left_______________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Good Example
Alignment
LeftHanging
LeftHanging
Good Example
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Alignment
Modified Hanging ________________ ________________ ____________ ________________ ________________ _______________ ________________
Modified Hanging ________________ ______________ ________________ ________________
Good Example
Heading _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________
Bad Example
Alignment
Heading______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Good Example
Alignment
• Connects items on a page• Allows for scanning
• Means that related items should be placed more closely together than unrelated items on the page
Bad Example
Heading___________________________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ ________________ _________________ _________________
same
Proximity
• Visually organizes information or graphic elements on a page
Good Example
Heading___________________________________________________
Subheading ________________ _________________
Subheading ________________ _________________ ________________ _________________
more
Proximity
How do you tell where one paragraph ends and another begins?
If you followed the principle of proximity, you would make the space in between paragraphs greater than the space in between lines, not the same.
Indenting the first line only to designate the start of a paragraph violates the alignment principle.
Good Example
Proximity
How do you tell where one
paragraph ends and
another begins?
If you followed the principle
of proximity, you would
make the space in between
paragraphs greater than the
space in between lines, not
the same.
Bad Example
• Consider your readers’ needs and expectations
• Consider your resources
How Do You Plan Your Document Design?
Ask: • What design elements will help readers fulfill
their purpose for reading your documents?• Where will readers use the document?• Do readers have expectations about quality?• Do readers have expectations for the
presentation of the information?
Consider Your Readers’ Needs and Expectations
• Budget• Time• Equipment
Consider Your Resources
• Page size• Paper• Binding• Locating Tools
What Considerations Are Involved in Designing the Whole Document?
Remember that you have more options than 8 1/2 x 11 inches!
Page Size
• Weight• Brightness• Coating
Paper
• Loose-leaf binding• Wire or plastic spiral binding• Saddle binding• Perfect binding
Binding
• Tabs• Divider pages• Headers and footers• Page numbers• Headings• Color• Icons
Locating Tools
• Layout• White space• Type• Margins• Line spacing
What Considerations Are Involved in Designing Each Page?
• Thumbnail sketches: rough drawings of possible page layouts
• Prototypes: full-size version of possible page layouts
• Style sheets: plans for the language and design choices in a document
• Styles: a word processing feature that allows users to save and apply formatting choices for different items in a document
Layout
• Is not a problem when used correctly• Is essential to the principles of contrast and
proximity• Calls attention to important items on the
page
White Space
Examples of White Space
• Typeface• Size• Style• Case
Type
Typeface
Common Serif Typefaces• Book Antigua• Bookman Old Style• Garamond• Georgia• Palatino Linotype• Sylfaen• Times New Roman
Common Sans Serif Typefaces• Arial• Arial Black• Franklin Gothic
Medium• Lucinda Sans Unicode• Microsoft Sans Serif• Tahoma• Verdana
Note: Avoid script or decorative typefaces like Comic Sans or Impact.
Size
• For text, use 10-, 11-, or 12-point type.• For headings, use a type size 2 to 4 points
larger than the text.• For footnotes, use 8- to 10-point type.• For slides, use 24- to 36-point type.
• Use boldface, italics, and reverse type carefully.
• Avoid outlining, shadowing, and underlining.
You can use lines, rules, or borders—depending on your word processor—to create the same effect (as shown below).
Underlining
Style
• Avoid using any text in ALL CAPS, which is less recognizable because it detracts from the shape.
PARTY Party
Case
• Justification• Margins
Margins
Justification
JustifiedKeep your paragraphs ragged right instead of fully justified. Full justification can be difficult to read. Having all the lines the same length creates a lack of contrast that often causes readers to miscue. Some of the lines have to be stretched to make them the same length, which creates inconsistent spacing.
Bad Example
UnjustifiedKeep your paragraphs ragged right instead of fully justified. Full justification can be difficult to read. Having all the lines the same length creates a lack of contrast that often causes readers to miscue. Some of the lines have to be stretched to make them the same length, which creates inconsistent spacing.
Good Example
• Use the same top, bottom, left, and right margins on each page.
• Indent headings, paragraphs, and lists consistently.
• Use a consistent amount of spacing– Between columns – Within lists– Above and below headings, lists, and visuals
Margins
• Use single spacing for e-mail, memos, letters, and most manuals.
• Use single, one-and-a-half, or double spacing for reports and proposals.
Line Spacing
Questions?