Document Design

Guidelines for Effective

Information Layout
Some Concepts
 Arrangement
 Organization of visual elements
 Sequence of information—
chronological, causal, hierarchical
 Format
 Consistent design conventions of
recurring elements such as headings,
typeface, margins, columns, and boxes
Some Concepts
 Layout
 Arrangement of elements on a
page
Some Concepts
 Physical appearance
 Shape
Portrait or landscape
Full page, folded brochure (tent
style or book style), tri-fold, etc.
 Paper weight, color, and texture
 Type of binding
Coil, tape, binder
Functions of Design
 Provides access to information
 Aids comprehension
 Enhances recall
 Motivates readers
 Meets readers’ expectations
 Facilitates ongoing use
Principles of Design—
Arrangement
 Arrangement— 1. 1.0

shows structure 2.
3.
1.1
1.2

of information
4.
5. 2.0
6. 2.1
 Through 2.2

numbering

 Spatial
arrangement
Principles of Design—
Emphasis
 Emphasis—
controls what
stands out
Principles of Design—Clarity
 Clarity—helps readers to access
information quickly
 Encompasses many design elements
 Typefaces
• Easy to read?
• Appropriate for audience?
• Demonstrates professionalism?
• EASY-TO-READ ALL CAPS?
Principles of Design—Clarity
(con’t)
 Charts
 Illustrations
Household Pets

2002

40-50
Year 30-40
20-30
Cost 2001 10-20
Cats Dogs Birds Fish 0-10
Species
 Principles of Design—
Conciseness
 Conciseness—designs that are
appropriately succinct
Birds
Fish

Charts are too

concise to 1 1

communicate 2
2

effectively

Dogs Cats

1 2001
2 2002
Principles of Design—
Conciseness
 Information consolidated
Strays Adopted

50

40
Number

30 2001
20 2002

10

0
Cats Dogs Birds Fish
Species

Be careful of those stray fish.

Principles of Design—Tone
and Ethos
 Tone—reveals the designer’s
attitude toward the audience
 Ethos—cultivates a sense of
credibility with the audience
Non-Designer’s Guidelines
CLICK FOR FURTHER INFO.

 Proximity and Alignment

http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/designprin1/start.htm

 Repetition and Contrast

http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/designprin2/start.htm
Elements of Design
 Number of columns
 Line length

 White spaces—margins, open space,

vertical or horizontal layouts
 Visuals—number and placement
Elements of Design
 Paragraph length and indentation
 Lists—numbered, bulleted
 Headings—levels, size, font, capital
style, placement
 Portrait vs. landscape page
orientation
 Type—font, size, style
Elements of Design
 Rules, boxes, underlining, pointers
 Shading, color
 Binding, folding, document size
 Paper—weight, color, texture
Document Design
Decisions
 Do I use text or a visual
representation?
 Where do I place text, visuals?
 How many columns should I use?
 How do I group common elements?
 What type styles and sizes should I
use?
 How do I accommodate different types
of readers?
Implementing Design Principles
 Chunking
 Coding information into meaningful
units and separating them from
other units
 Using White Space
 White space is not a left over area,
it is an active design element that
separates and emphasizes
Implementing Design Principles
 Sequencing
 Establishing a sequence of stops for the
reader (large to small, high to low, left
to right, color to black and white, bold
to light, irregular to normal shapes)
Implementing Design Principles
 Navigating
 Using navigational aids such as visual
markers (tabs, bullets, graphics, white
space) and verbal guides (table of
contents, lists, headings, indices,
headers, footers)
Implementing Design Principles
 Signaling
 Using cues that preview organization,
indicate hierarchy, or show
relationships such as type size, italics,
bold, color, underlining, preview
statements, connectives
Advantages of Effective
Document Design
 Accommodates different types of
reading
 Points readers to most important
material
 Promotes comprehension
 Enhances recall

GOAL: Instant and lasting

communication
THANK YOU!