Designing

Documents,
Slides, and
Screens

Module Five

©2014 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.  All rights reserved

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Learning Objectives

LO 5-1 Apply strategies for paper page design.

LO 5-2 Apply strategies for presentation slide design.
LO 5-3 Apply strategies for web page design.
LO 5-4 Apply strategies for design tests.
LO 5-5 Apply strategies for computer use in design.
LO 5-6 Recognize questions about design while
writing.

5-2
 Good Document Design

 Saves time and money.

 Reduces legal problems.
 Builds goodwill.
 Looks inviting, friendly, and easy-to-read.
 Enhances your credibility.
 Builds an image of you as professional and
competent.

5-3
 How should I design paper pages?

 Use white space for separation and emphasis.

 Use headings to group points.
 Limit the use of words set in all CAPS.
 Use no more than two fonts.
 Decide whether to justify margins based on the
situation and the audience.

5-4
 Use White Space

To create white space:

Use headings
Use a mix of paragraph lengths.
Use lists.

5-5
 Use Headings

 Headings
 words or short
phrases that group
points and divide your
letter, memo, or
report into sections.

5-6
 Use Headings

 Make headings specific.

 Make each heading cover all the material
until the next heading.
 Keep headings at any one level parallel: all
nouns, all complete sentences, or all
questions.

5-7
 Examples of Different Fonts

Figure 5.4

5-8
 Choice of Margins

 Use justified margins when you

 Can use proportional typefaces.
 Want a more formal look.
 Want to use as few pages as possible.
 Write to skilled readers.

5-9
 Choice of Margins

 Use ragged margins when you

 Do not have proportional typefaces.
 Want a less formal look.
 Want to revise one page without reprinting all.
 Use very short line lengths.

5-10
 How should I design
presentation slides?

 Use a big font.

 Use bullet-point phrases.
 Use clear, concise language and appropriate
clip art.
 Make only three to five points per slide.
 Customize your slides with the company logo,
charts, and scanned-in photos and drawings

5-11
Effective and Ineffective Colors for
Presentation Slides

5-12
 How should I design Web pages?

 Provide an introductory statement on the first

screen.
 Offer an overview of the content of your page.
 Include information that will be most interesting
and useful to most readers.
 Use small graphics; keep animation to a
minimum.

5-13
 To Design Web Pages continued

 Include a Skip Intro button if you have an

animated introduction page.
 Provide visual variety.
 Unify multiple pages.
 On each page, provide a link to the home page.

5-14
 How do I know whether
my design works?

 To know whether your design is functional,

test it with your audience.
 Watch someone as he or she uses the
document to do a task.
 Ask the reader to describe the thought
process after completing the document and
the task.

5-15
 How do I know whether
my design works?

 Test the document with the people who are

most likely to have trouble with it
 Ask readers to put a plus sign ( + ) in the
margins by any part of the document they
like or agree with and a minus sign ( - ) by
any part that seems confusing or wrong.

5-16
 Using Computers to
Create Good Design

 Different versions of word processors handle

commands differently.
 Choose a businesslike font in 11- or 12-point
type.
 Times Roman, Palatino, Helvetica, and Arial are
the most commonly used business fonts.
 Use bold headings.
 Avoid having a heading all by itself at the bottom of
the page.
5-17
 Using Computers to
Create Good Design

 Change your tab settings to create good

visual impact.
 To save paper, use print preview to see the
document’s final appearance.

5-18
 When should I think about design?

 As you plan, think about your audience.

 As you write, incorporate lists and headings.
 Get feedback from people who will be using
your document.
 As you revise, check your draft against the
guidelines in this module.

5-19