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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.
Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9
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.
Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 10
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
Chapter 13. Designing the Document © 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12
Five Other Design Features Used Frequently in Technical Communication
• Rules
• Boxes
• Screens
• Marginal glosses
• Pull quotes