Format for Ease of Access Importance Design Principles Design Elements

Importance First impression is purely visual Sloppy format alienates reader Good Page Design Helps reader understand your information Helps reader locate information Helps reader notice important content

Basic Design Principles Placement Proximity Alignment Contrast Repetition

Content Placement Bottom of page – might not be seen or read. Eye level – Approximately 1/3 from the top and 2/3 from the bottom – gets more attention. Bulleted lists – get more attention. –The first few points in the list get more attention. Certain parts of the page are more important than others

Placement is one way to accent results within a section Section Heading The beginning of a section receives emphasis, as does the beginning of a paragraph. Table I Time-Flight Results TimeHeight A 10 cm 1 ms B 11 cm 2 ms No. Illustration Beginning of section End of paragraph The end of a section receives emphasis, as does the end of a paragraph. End of section

Repetition Same grid pattern throughout Same type treatment (font, size, color, etc.) for headings, subheadings, and text Use repetition to unify your communication visually

Repetition Use consistent headings and subheadings

Proximity Use white space to place related items close to one another GroupedNot Grouped Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ (416) Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ (416)

Proximity White space gives shape to document and orients the user

space for margins space for illustrations space for headings

Alignment Arbitrary placement of text causes confusion for the reader Alignment  RelationshipArbitrary Placement Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ (416) Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ (416)

Alignment Grid lines can be used to create the page layout

Contrast Use contrast to establish hierarchy and focus Contrast  EmphasisNo Contrast Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ (416) Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ (416) CAUTION: Don’t overdo graphic contrast !

Contrast Use lists for easy reading Advice or examples Conclusions/recommendations Criteria for evaluation Errors to avoid Material for a procedures Equipment in a procedure Parts of a mechanism Steps in a sequence Items you might list:

Contrast Select type that is easy to read Arial abcdefghijklmnopqr stuwxyz Times New Roman abcdefghijklmnopqr stuvwxyz SerifSans Serif Avoid all Caps TYPE IS TO READ Type is to read

48 point 36 point 24 point 18 point 14 point 12 point 10 point 8 point posters presentation slides titles text footnotes

Design Elements Text Headings / Subheadings Graphics White space / grid Headers and footers Physical features