In designing effective documents, consider…

• Who is my audience?
• What is my purpose?
• How will my readers use the document?

Start with basic decisions:

• Page size: which works best with your document (letter, legal, etc.)?
• Quality of paper: which type is appropriate for your document (i.e., cotton bond paper for a résumé, lamination for signs, or sturdy paper for brochures)?

Five principles should guide formatting decisions:

• Proximity: group related items together.
• Alignment & Balance: make sure that text and graphics line up and create a unified design.
• Repetition: work with similar information in similar places to create consistent patterns.
• Contrast: make opposing elements of a document stand out against each other (i.e., black text on a white background).
• Emphasis: place and format elements, such as headings and subheadings, so they catch readers’ attention.

Six techniques used to emphasis text:

Emphasizing parts of the page draws readers’ attention to a particular area. Use the following techniques for emphasis:

• Chunking: information clustered in small chunks­­ makes it easier for the reader to understand.
• Queuing: the order of visual information displayed indicates level of importance.
• Filtering: visual patterns distinguish various types of information (i.e., notes in a box or a border around an important paragraph).
• Color variation: different colors can add emphasis to a particular heading or subheading.
• Highlighting: use boldface, italics, SMALL CAPITALS, large font size, or underlining to bring attention to words.
• Illustrations:  they are often viewed first; use them to convey ideas discussed in the surrounding paragraphs (i.e., photographs, drawings charts, or graphs).

Page Design Details:

• Symmetrical designs evoke a balanced and restful appearance.
• Asymmetrical designs are unbalanced and suggest movement across the page.

(See http://desktoppub.about.com/od/designprinciples/l/aa_balance1.htm and http://desktoppub.about.com/od/designprinciples/l/aa_balance2.htm)

White space:

• Keeps related elements together
• Isolates and emphasizes important elements
• Provides breathing room between blocks of information

Line length: Readers tend to tire when reading long lines; but short lines can interrupt normal reading pattern.

Line spacing: Should be consistent. Most technical documents use single spacing within paragraphs and double spacing (letters, memos, instructions) or space and a half (proposals, formal reports).

Lists: Can be bulleted, numbered, or in the form of a checklist. Generally, they make easy reading. However, do not overuse lists. Too many bullets at too many levels can make a document choppy and difficult to read. Most importantly, keep lists grammatically consistent (Parallel). Example: Non-parallel (I like swimming, to run and biking.) Parallel (I like swimming, running, and biking.)

(See http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/SentParallel.html)

Columns make room for more information on the page, facilitate repetition, and create a visual pattern. While they are seldom used in academic papers, they are used frequently in journal and other periodicals, brochures, and posters.

Headings help guide the reader through the document.

Font styles are easy to read and appropriate for the document are best. Serif fonts are considered easier to read for body text; sans serif fonts are often used for headings.

Font size should be 12 point for an essay or report, 28 point for a Power Point slide show, and  larger fonts for headings or titles; smaller for captions).

Font effects, such as full capitalization, engraving, or outlining, are best used in informal documents.    

Justification is the alignment of words along the left and right margins of the text. Most documents are left-justified. Use ragged right margins if a justified (straight) right margin results in large, unequal spaces between words or odd hyphenation.

References

Lannon, John M. Technical Communication.  New York: Longman, 2006.

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007.

Palmquist, Mike. Design Writing: A Practical Guide. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.