Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

Seven Characteristics of Technical Communication

• Addresses particular readers.

• Helps readers solve problems.

• Reflects an organization's goals and culture.

• Is produced collaboratively.

• Uses design to increase readability.

• Consists of words or graphics or both.

• Is produced using high-tech tools.

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

Goals of Document Design

• To make a good impression on readers.

• To help readers understand the structure and hierarchy of the information.

• To help readers find the information they need.

• To help readers understand the information.

• To help readers remember the information.

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3

Four Principles of Design

• Proximity – group related items together. Keep text describing a graphic next to the graphic.

• Alignment – create a unified whole.

• Repetition – use consistent format for each level of information.

• Contrast – use different type to emphasize important points.

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4

Consider Cultural Preference in These Design Elements:

• Paper sizes – different countries have different standard paper sizes.

• Typeface – Pacific Rim countries prefer sans-serif typefaces, while Western readers prefer serifs.

• Color – In China, red suggests happiness or celebration, while in other countries it suggests danger.

• Text direction – some cultures read left to right, others read right to left.

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5

Three Resources to Consider When Planning the Whole Document

• Time

• Money

• Equipment

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6

Four Elements to Consider in Designing

the Whole Document• Size

• Paper

• Bindings

• Accessing toolsIcons Cross-reference tables

Color Headers and footers

Dividers and tabs Page numbering

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7

Three Principles Used in Designing Effective Pages

• Chunking. People understand information best if it is delivered to them in chunks rather than all at once.

• Queuing. Queuing refers to creating visual distinctions to indicate levels of importance.

• Filtering. Filtering is the use of visual patterns to distinguish various types of information.

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8

Two Kinds of Space on Every Page

• White space (or negative space)

• Space for text and graphics

• Page grids arrange elements into one or more columns.

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Three Advantages of Multicolumn Design

• Text is easier to read because the lines are shorter.

• Columns allow you to fit more information on the page, because many graphics can fit in one column or extend across two or more columns.

• Columns let you use the principle of repetition to create a visual pattern, such as text in one column, accompanying graphic in an adjacent column.

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Four Purposes of Margins

• They limit the amount of information on the page, making it easier to read and use.

• They provide space for binding and allow readers to hold the page without covering up the text.

• They provide a neat frame around the type.

• They provide space for marginal glosses.

Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11

Four Aspects of Typography

• Typefaces: Serif vs. Sans-serif

• Type families

Arial

Arial Black

Arial Narrow

• Case

Lowercase letters are easier to read THAN UPPERCASE LETTERS.

• Type sizes

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Five Other Design Features Used Frequently in Technical Communication

• Rules

• Boxes

• Screens

• Marginal glosses

• Pull quotes