Transcript Document Design 1

Guidelines for
Document Design
Part 1
Paper Documents
Technical Communication
Document Design
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
4. Limit number of typefaces
5. Justify margins based on situation
and audience
6. Place elements strategically
7. Use a grid to unify elements
8. Use highlighting, color, and decorative
devices in moderation
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
- the portions of the page that are blank
Create white space with
 headings
 margins
 line and paragraph spacing
 multiple columns
 lists
• tabs or indents
• bullets & numbering
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Would you like to read this document?
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings (also called level heads)
 Refers to titles, subtitles, headings, and
subheadings of all kinds
 Differs from “body text” which is the text
of the document’s paragraphs and
bulleted or numbered lists.
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
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If this were an email, using all capital
letters means you’re yelling.
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ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
All lower-case letters
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ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
HARDER TO
READ AND
REMEMBER
ELEPHANT
All lower-case letters
Easier to
read and
remember
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elephant
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
4. Limit number of typefaces
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4. Typefaces
(for IBM computers & clones)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Fixed Typefaces
Proportional Typefaces
Serif
Sans serif
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a) Fixed typefaces
 Courier
This is the standard “pica”
typewriter typeface.
 Prestige Elite
This is the standard
“elite” typewriter typeface.
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a) Fixed typefaces
 Courier
 Prestige Elite
Each letter takes up the same
horizontal space (width)
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b) Proportional typefaces
 Times New Roman
This standard business typeface is used for
letters, memos, and reports.
 Arial
This standard business typeface is often used
for titles, graphs, and charts as well as for
letters, memos, and reports
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b) Proportional typefaces
 Times New Roman
 Arial
M’s and W’s take up more horizontal space than
I’s and t’s.
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b) Other proportional typefaces
Impact
This typeface is appropriate for signs and ads, but
too much is hard to read.
Lucida Handwriting
This typeface imitates script. It is
appropriate for personal but not for
business letters. It may also be used
for signs, ads, and invitations.
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c) Serif typefaces
- Little extensions from main strokes
- Easier to read
Examples: Times New Roman,
Courier New
d) Sans Serif typefaces
Lack extensions from main strokes
Good for titles and tables
Examples: Arial, Futura,
Comic Sans MS (used in this slide show)
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c) Serif typefaces
- Find the serifs
- Little extensions (some call them “tails,” the
French call them “feet”) from main strokes
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One typeface (Font)--many looks
Times New Roman Bold (28 pt)
Times New Roman Italic
Times New Roman Underlined
TIMES NEW ROMAN UPPERCASE
Times New Roman Shadowed
Times New Roman 16 pt
Times New Roman 40 pt
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
4. Limit number of typefaces
5. Justify margins or use ragged right
based on situation and audience
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Justification refers to how
lines of text align with each other
on the left and the right margins
 Full justification
 Ragged left
 Centered
 Ragged right
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Examples of justification
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5. Use fully justified margins when you
 Can use proportional typefaces.
 Want document to look very formal
and professional.
 Want as few pages as possible.
 Write to skilled readers.
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5. Use ragged right margins when you
 Do not have proportional typefaces.
 Want an informal look.
 Want to be able to revise without
reprinting the whole document.
 Use very short line lengths.
 Write to readers with poor eyesight.
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
4. Limit number of typefaces
5. Justify margins based on situation &
audience
6. Place elements strategically
- follow the reader’s eye movement
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Eye movement on the page
for most countries using our alphabet
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Eye movement on the page
for Hebrew
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and Arabic
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Eye movement on the page
for Chinese
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and Japanese
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
4. Limit number of typefaces
5. Justify margins based on situation
and audience
6. Place elements strategically
7. Use a grid to unify elements
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7. Use a grid to unify elements
Help the reader find useful
information quickly
- align similar information
- use columns and rows
- use a chart or table
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7. Use a grid to unify elements
Can you find your dream tour?
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7. Use a grid to unify elements
Can you find your dream tour?
Column 1
Dates
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Column 2
Name of
Tour
Column 3
Destinations
Document Design
Column 4
Price
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Guidelines for Document Design
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit use of all capital letters
4. Limit number of typefaces
5. Justify margins based on situation
and audience
6. Place elements strategically
7. Use a grid to unify elements
8. Use highlighting, color, and decorative
devices in moderation
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8. Use color effectively
a) Limit the number of colors you use
in a document, slide, or screen.
b) Use color for main points,
not details.
c) Be consistent. All points at the
same level should use the same
color.
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8. Use Color Effectively
(continued)
d) Create a unified look:
• Repeat text color in numbers,
bullets, and lines.
• Use the same color scheme for your
whole presentation or in a series
or related documents.
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Communication
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8. Use Color Effectively
(continued)
e) Make sure that colors contrast
with the background.
f) Use colors that work with the
cultural expectations of your
audience.
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8. Use Color Effectively
(continued)
e) Make sure that colors contrast
with the background.
f) Use colors that work with the
cultural expectations of your
audience.
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Don’t Overdo
Your Design!!
Just because it’s
available doesn’t mean
you should use it.
Too much is too
much.
CONSIDER your reader.
Look professional.
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Document Design