Portfolio Item 5

Project Details
The Guide to Henry VIIIs London
Engl 6725 Document and Visual Design, Second Summer Session 2014
The document is a travel guide for London centered on a thematic element. Mine is
centered around Henry VIII because of my moms and best friends interest in Henry
VIII and that they would arrive in London during the last week of my study abroad
program.

Critical Refl ection

Utilizing all the details to design an effective and clear document takes patience and
attention to detail. There are multiple parts of this document that I think are
effective at helping someone navigate London. I particularly like my explanation for
using the bus system. While I do not think they are particularly pleasing to the eye,
the idea of pulling directions into a table seemed an effective concept for drawing
attention to its use. In addition, organizing information in a guide based on the area
seemed a logical choice. In the guide book versions we looked at for class, my
favorite idea was when a map was given of a small area of London with a suggested
walking tour. Both the DK Eyewitness Travel London guide and the Lonely Planet
Pocket London guide provide these types of graphics. If I were to remake my guide,
I would like to include a walking tour map. In addition, I would have preferred to
include more graphics such as the ones used in the DK Eyewitness Travel London
guide; these included diagrams of the buildings that constitute major attractions,
such as Westminster Abbey or the Tower of London, that include showing the
important spots to visit at that attraction. The other guides we looked at for class
only included maps. The diagrams were very helpful for touring the attractions and
made directions within the attraction more clear.

References to scholarship and research germane to the critical

refl ection
Filou, Emilie. Pocket London. 4th ed. Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd., 2014. Print.
Shaw, Jane Ed. Eyewitness Travel: London. 21st ed. London: DK, 2014. Print.

A 1-7 rating of the overall satisfaction with the item

4 I feel it served its purpose but would not suffice for a publishable document.