| Document design is concerned with creating text | | | | present the information in a way that increases |
| such as books, pamphlets, or posters that | | | | the readability and understanding of the |
| integrate words and pictures in ways that help | | | | document.The four areas a writer is concerned |
| people to achieve their specific goals for using | | | | with when writing a document are: |
| texts at home, school, work, etc. It is the bringing | | | | - Organization |
| together of graphics (including illustrations and | | | | - Order |
| photography) for purposes of instruction, | | | | - Access |
| information or persuasion. Remember that reader | | | | - Variety |
| needs must ultimately drive the design. Document | | | | The organization of a document and its design is |
| design is the act of writing and designing along | | | | accomplished by breaking up the information into |
| with the skillful selection, structuring and emphasis | | | | chunks (chunking). This is done effectively by |
| of content with the reader needs in focus. | | | | creating headings and using white space correctly. |
| Use document design to help readers locate | | | | When the writer orders the ideas with different |
| information and understand the structure and | | | | font sizes, font types and heading positioning, the |
| meaning of your material. Remember that the | | | | queuing can make the priority of the information |
| design of a document has both an informational | | | | easier to understand. |
| and a physical aspect format and layout. Format | | | | Access of information can be accomplished by |
| refers to the arrangement of the document | | | | using bullets, numbering, boldface or caps to |
| content into standard subject areas such as | | | | emphasize keywords. The document design can |
| introduction, theory, method and results, | | | | include underlining and font color too. When using |
| discussion, and conclusions sections. Format also | | | | headings with color the meaning of the paragraph |
| refers to the general design of standard | | | | stands out but over use of color or underlining |
| document elements such as tables and figures, as | | | | can make the document harder to read. Variety |
| well as citations. Format conventions are usually | | | | of the other areas used effectively uses white |
| widely followed but may vary from field to field. | | | | space and columns or gutter widths to break up |
| Technical Writing departments in their infancy | | | | the text and be more appealing to the reader. |
| seem to have great difficulty producing | | | | There are ways to give your audience easy |
| documentation that is well designed and consistent | | | | access to the information that they want. |
| in appearance throughout all documents. As the | | | | Indenting a new block of text is like opening a |
| department matures, it attempts to "consistify" | | | | door and inviting the reader in. Bullets emphasize |
| the format of the documentation, but, unless | | | | important items within the text. Numbering allows |
| there is an experienced template designer on | | | | for easy access by showing sequence or |
| board, this is often a drawn-out process involving | | | | importance. Boldface draws attention to key |
| focus groups and much squabbling. | | | | words or phrases and all caps highlights a danger |
| A writer needs to consider the visual presentation | | | | or warning. Underlining, italics and highlighting can all |
| of their document before writing in order to | | | | be used similarly as highlighting techniques. |