Engl317 project1 slidedoc3_format_documentdesignreadability_new2_edited

Format,Document Design, &Readability

1

2

Table of Contents

Workplace Genres Defined ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 3

Audience and Purpose ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 4-5

List of Common Workplace Genres ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 6

Standard Visual Formatting Conventions and Document Design ................................ ................................ . 7-8

Standard Formatting Convention Example: Memo / Memo Report ................................ ................... 9

Standard Formatting Conventions for Page Header and Page Numbers ................................ .......... 11

Document Design & Visual Hierarchy ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 12-4

Create Visual Hierarchy ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 15

Use White Space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 16-17

Use Heading Levels ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 18-21

Use Contrast ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 22

Use Alignment ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 23

Style Guides ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 24-26

Conclusion ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 27

Workplace Genres Defined

• A genre is a category of writing.

• The genres writers use in the workplace (memos, letters, etc.) evolved over time in response to common writing situations in businesses or organizations.

• This means that how the document is formatted will be more or less the same based on that genre.

3

Audience andPurpose

• Writers choose a specific genre based on who they are writing to (audience) and why (writer's purpose).

• There are two types of audiences in the workplace:

• Internal Audience: people withinthe business or organization.

• External Audience: people outsideof the business or organization.

4

Flowchart Example of Audiences

Internal

Audience

External

Audience

5

Here is a list of common workplace genres.

• correspondence genres: letters, memos, memo reports, social media

• presentation genres: pitches, pecha kucha, slideware

• collaboration genres: charter document, strategic plan

• information genres: reports, technical documentation, PSAs

• proposal genres: project proposals, marketing proposals

• employment search genres: resume, cover letter, interview techniques

6

• How common workplace genres should look is based on standard visual formatting conventions and document design.

• These do two types of rhetorical work.

7

• Standard Formatting Conventions allow the reader to discern at a glance what the document is (and, hence, what it’s for).

• Document Design also assists readability. It allows workplace readers to find information they need and revisit it easily.

8

9

Memorandum To: First and Last Name From: First and Last Name Date: Date Sent Subject: What the Memo is About

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Heading Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas.

• Eu mi bibendum neque egestas congue. Ornare massa eget egestas purus. Dolor sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet bibendum. Non tellus orci ac auctor augue mauris augue neque.

• Molestie nunc non blandit massa enim nec dui nunc mattis. Nam libero justo laoreet sit amet cursus sit. Semper viverra nam libero justo laoreet. Etiam non quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum posuere lorem.

• Rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent. In egestas erat imperdiet sed euismod. Vestibulum lectus mauris ultrices eros in cursus turpis massa tincidunt. Aliquam eleifend mi in nulla posuere sollicitudin aliquam. Pulvinar mattis nunc sed blandit libero volutpat sed cras. In hac habitasse platea dictumst vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque.

Heading Fermentum iaculis eu non diam. Elit ullamcorper dignissim cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at. Ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis. Auctor augue mauris augue neque gravida in. Arcu odio ut sem nulla pharetra diam sit amet. Ut faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim. Dictum sit amet justo donec enim diam vulputate ut. Vitae congue eu consequat ac felis. Pretium nibh ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam id. Porttitor eget dolor morbi non arcu. Arcu non sodales neque sodales ut. In nulla posuere sollicitudin aliquam ultrices sagittis. Augue lacus viverra vitae congue eu consequat ac felis donec.

Example of Standard Format: Memo Report

The title “memo” or "memorandum" signals the

reader is getting an internal document.

The section below the title creates a record of

who received the document, who wrote it,

when, and why (conveyed by the subject line).

Another standard formatting

convention is to single-

space and left-justify text,

and add a line of white

space to separate

paragraphs. This is called

block format, and you will

use it for every piece of

writing in this course.

Standard Formatting Conventions for Page Header

For all workplace documents, pages after the first one need information in the header area and page numbers.

The information in the header will let the reader know which document they are reading, and the page numbers will let them know where they are at in the document.

10

Examples of header area information.

11

Learning how to use the heading templates in Word with the field feature (Mac) or quick parts (PC) to add page numbers is useful because once the header is set up, you don't have to type it again.

Document Design and Visual Hierarchy

12

Visual hierarchy refers to how elements are arranged in a document or on a website

page that implies how the elements relate

to one another.

Visual hierarchy influences how a reader

recognizes and responds to this

arrangement.

13

Poor Visual Hierarchy

Notice how images and

sections are "scattered" on this

page.

There are no visual cues to

help a reader see how images

and text are related. There’s

also no indication of which

images and text are most

important.

14

Effective Visual Hierarchy

Notice how this page provides

visual cues through the use of

white space and alignment of

images to text.

These cues help a reader

understand how information

and images are related to one

another.

To Create Visual Hierarchy Use:

15

• White space

• Heading Levels

• Contrast

• Alignment

WHITE SPACE

16

White space is any section of a document

or web page that is unused or has

space around an object.

White spaces help separate paragraphs

of text, graphics, and other elements and

keeps the page from looking crowded.

Beware of using too much or too little,

however.

Too Much White Space

17

Memorandum To: First and Last Name

From: First and Last Name

Date: Date Sent

Subject: What the Memo is About

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor

incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud

exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure

dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit

anim id est laborum.

Heading Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor

incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus

commodo viverra maecenas.






Heading Fermentum iaculis eu non diam. Elit ullamcorper dignissim cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at. Ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis. Auctor augue mauris augue neque gravida in. Arcu odio ut sem nulla pharetra diam sit amet. Ut faucibus pulvinar elementum integer enim. Dicum sit amet justo donec enim diam vulputate ut. Vitae congue eu consequat ac felis. Pretium nibh ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam id. Porttitor eget dolor morbi non arcu. Arcu non sodales neque sodales ut. In nulla posuere sollicitudin aliquam ultrices sagittis. Augue lacus viverra vitae congue eu consequat ac felis donec.

Too Little White Space

18

• Heading levels help

readers easily navigate

through content to findand revisit information they

need.

• They also show at a glance

how some information is

subordinate to other

information on a page.

• Most of the time, three

levels will be all you need.

HEADING LEVELS

19

Level 1: cues reader to a main section or topic of a document.

Level 2: cues reader information here is a subsection of level 1.

Level 3: cues reader information here is subordinate to level 2.

Don’t get carried away with indenting the levels.

Here are two examples of heading levels. The content is the same,

but the document on the left identifies heading levels by number, which is helpful when composing a long section or chapter.

20

It’s Not Hard to Use Headings

• If you aren’t used to writing them, though, it may seem odd at first.

• You may feel like your writing “doesn’t flow” as it would in an essay, but it shouldn’t. You aren’t writing essays; you’re writing in workplace genres.

• The purpose of headings is to make information easy to find, not to make writing flow.

• Keeping this purpose in mind should help you compose headings.

21

CONTRAST

22







Using bold type for headings

creates contrast between the

heading and other text on a

page.

Contrast helps readers see

where major sections and

subsections begin and end.

ALIGNMENT

23







Alignment makes information in a memo's heading easier to read.

Aligning text that is subordinate to another cues reader to see how the

information is related.

STYLE GUIDES

• Many businesses and organizations use style guides to create a consistent look and feel to documents that support brand identity.

• Style guides specify use of standard visual formatting conventions such as font style, size of heading levels, and use of other elements such as logos.

24

Example 1: Idaho Transportation Department

25

The ITD style guide is 95 pages and

explains the formatting guidelines

that writers should use when

preparing research reports.

These guidelines include font style,

size of heading levels, line spacing

conventions, layout of pages, etc.

Example 2: University of Idaho

26

The University of Idaho's Brand

Resource center explains UI policy

for use of university logos, colors,

typography, etc.

Conclusion• Use standard conventions for workplace writing

based on the audience you are writing to.

In this course, formatting conventions for print deliverables can be found in the style guide for each project. In the workplace, follow your employer's style guide.

• Use visual hierarchy.

• Insert header area information and use page numbers for all pages after the first one in a print document.

27

Engl317 project1 slidedoc3_format_documentdesignreadability_new2_edited

Education

Transcript of Engl317 project1 slidedoc3_format_documentdesignreadability_new2_edited