DESIGNING DOCUMENTS And page layout

What is document design?  Refers to page layout, that is, where the visuals and information are placed on a page and the visual relationships established between these elements on the page (or between these elements and those on other pages in a multi-page document)  An effective layout can help users of technical communication  Poor layout can hinder users

What are the elements of document design?  Typefaces and fonts  White space  Layout  Boxes  Lines  Illustrations  Icons  Lists, bullets, numbers  Arrows

Typefaces and fonts  Choose typefaces that are easy to read  Use serif type for body text and sans serif type for titles and headings  Above all, match the typeface to the needs of users/readers  Easy-to-read vs. what does it say?

White space  Area on the page that has no text or graphic  White space is the background on the page  Gestalt theory explains how users distinguish text on a page as geometric shapes  Formatting, such as bold headings, separate sections of the page

Should margins be justified or ragged?  Ragged right is easiest to read.  Why?  Preserves the normal spacing between letters  Can add the visually unexpected  Ragged borders can be used to attach captions to photos

Capitals or lower case?  All caps call attention to a point  But they are difficult to read  Mixed upper and lower case define word shape, which we use to distinguish one word from another  When to use all capitals?  Seldom, only when you really must  In small amounts, restricted to a few words  To startle or grab attention  To simulate screen shots

In-Class Exercise 5.1 (1 of 2) Examine the page layout of each of your sample technical documents and compare how the information is presented.  Typefaces  Headings  Paragraph length  Number of paragraphs  Type, location, and function of visuals  Labelling of figures or tables  Format and presentation of instructions  Format of notes, cautions, warnings  Additional design choices

In-Class Exercise 5.1 (2 of 2) Use these questions to help you analyse the quality of design in your sample documents:  Which layout is more attractive? Easier to follow?  What relationship is there between the layout’s appearance and its ease of use?  Are sections out of order?  Which documents have the most logical presentation of information?  If it has illustrations, are they appropriate? Should the document have more or other illustrations? What kinds of visuals would be best?  How easy is it to locate section headings?  How easy is it to see how one section relates to another?

Four design principles  Proximity  Alignment  Repetition  Contrast

Proximity  Refers to visual groupings of related items  Grouped items imply some relationship  Separate items imply lack of relation  Create proximity through grouping related items on a page  Aim for 3 to 5 items per page

What to avoid with proximity  Putting too many separate elements on a page  Putting items in the centre and corners of the page  Using equal white space between unrelated items  Grouping unrelated items together to imply a relationship

Alignment  Refers to lining up elements on a page  Helps you avoid arbitrary placement of elements on a page  Helps you create visual connections on a page  Choose from  Left alignment  Right alignment  Centre alignment

Effective use of alignment  Choose one alignment and use it throughout your document  Left alignment doesn’t meant everything lined up along the left-hand margin, but everything lined towards the left on the page (rather than centred or right-aligned)  Centring creates a traditional look: it can be boring  Right alignment can add drama

Strategies to create alignment  Make conscious choices about where you place items on the page  Find something else on the page to align an element with  Use alignment to  Organize the page and unify the items  Create an artistic impression for your document  Avoid  Using more than one alignment on the page (for example, centred title, left-aligned headings)

Repetition  Consists of taking some aspect of the design and incorporating it consciously throughout the document  Choose typefaces, lines, bullets, or design elements (symbols, images, etc.) to repeat  Use repetition to  Unify the page  Add visual interest  Increase the likelihood the pages will be read

Strategies for effective repetition  Take elements of design and use them consciously  Turn some elements of the document into conscious parts of the design  Add elements expressly to create repetition and design  Avoid  Repetition to the point it becomes irritating

Contrast  Make two items exactly the same or make them very different  Use contrast to  Make clear the purpose and organization of the document  To create visual interest on the page

Sources of contrast  Size (of font or graphic, for example)  Typefaces  Lines  Colours  Textures  Horizontal and vertical design of text strings

Main source of problems with contrast  Come from not making items different enough  For example, are these lines different or the same?  In fact, the first is a 1 pt. and the second a ¼ pt. line, but they don’t look that different, do they?

Lab Assignment 5.1: What changes would you make to improve the overall design of this telephone book ad? RHG Medical Labs  X-RAY SPECIALISTS BLOOD TECHNICIANS DIAGNOSTIC & EXPLORATORY MAMMOGRAPHY ULTRASOUND  MRI  CAT SCAN BLOOD ANALYSIS  URINANALYSIS COLONOSCOPY  SIGMOIDOSCOPY BY APPOINTMENT DOCTOR’S REFERRAL REQUIRED BRING REFERRAL TO APPOINTMENT  1257 KING ST. W LEEDS, MB  RHGLABS.COM