CHAPTER 5 – DOCUMENT DESIGN
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: This chapter briefly summarizes fundamental concepts to
consider as you craft print and electronic texts. In this chapter you will read about basic
principles of document design that allow readers to combine graphic elements with text
to convey a message to audiences. Beginning with a discussion of standard
conventions (of formatting, language, and style), this chapter then shares some basic
guidelines for document design, moving forward to focus on integration of graphics,
callouts, and captions. Other topics include tables of contents, figures and tables,
headings and the well-known CRAP test used by graphic designers. For additional
resources, see the activities included at the chapter’s end.
5.1 – INTRODUCTION: A text’s visual appeal matters to the reader, so it should also
matter to the writer. Letters, reports, and blogs are more than just words on a page or
screen. How ideas are arranged and delivered, whether electronically or on paper, can
make reading seem intimidating, confusing, or downright unfriendly, even if the content
itself is perfect. Conversely a document’s design can draw in readers and engage them
with your ideas. Think of the text as a room for your thoughts. Sometimes you want
readers to get in and get out quickly, but often you want them to sit down and make
themselves comfortable, put their feet up and stay a while. Regardless of your specific
goal, it is important to make deliberate decisions about the design elements that affect
audience experience. As readers, we may seem a bit like TV viewers with remote
controls. In a moment, attention may be diverted to another channel if something about
the content distracts us. For this reason, a writer must consider carefully how to capture
readers’ attention and hold it. Good content is a key part of this, of course, but the visual
presentation of the content matters too. Reading is a difficult, cognitively demanding
task, so if your design helps makes readers’ journey through the text easier, you will hold
their attention longer. Give your audience reasons to linger, and they will.
o Document design: You already engage in document design practices. For
instance, when formatting an academic essay, you center your title and separate
the content into paragraphs, which signals to the reader that it is time for a
breather, the content is shifting slightly, or you are introducing a new topic. You
illustrate blogs, Web pages, and PowerPoint slides with photos and graphics,
animations, or videos. Even small elements of your writing help guide readers:
indentation, changes in type style (bold, italics, underline), or punctuation at the
end of a sentence. Professional writers, especially those who work for well-
funded websites and mass-market print publications, are fortunate enough to
have the services of artists, graphic designers, skilled photographers, and layout
experts. But most of us just want to have a cooler-looking blog, a more
professional-looking report, or an eBay listing that reinforces our credibility. In
many respects, document design is both a science and an art. The layout of
documents – their content, color scheme, alignment, etc. – is the result of
individual choices. It takes a long time to master the finer points of design. As a
starting point, this chapter will offer some strategies for making your documents
intuitive and audience friendly: easy to scan, search, and read. The goal of this
chapter is to familiarize you with a few basic ways of thinking that designers
know well. Whether you are typing up a memo on safety policies at work,
producing a newsletter for your community, or putting together a booklet
describing a new app, the following elements of document design are meant for
you.
, 5.2 – STANDARD CONVENTIONS: Appropriate format, language, and style are the
basic design elements of all technical documents. A format with a structure that leads
readers through the text and shows the hierarchical relationships among ideas – from
most important to least important – is crucial. Readers should be able to identify the
organizational pattern very quickly when scanning a technical document. The document
should be reader friendly, or reader-centered rather than writer-centered. Using
appropriate language provides readers with a thorough understanding of the document’s
purpose, how it relates to the individual needs, and any actions readers will need to take.
Although it is helpful to examine each element of a document individually, it is also wise
to step back and consider the interrelation of elements, or how all components work
together to communicate a message to a specific audience. In this sense, everything
from language and style to a text’s visual aspects may either contribute to or detract
from its overall design.
o READERS/AUDIENCES: As discussed previously in the chapter on audience
(see Chapter 2), a document may have one primary reader, several secondary
readers, or a combination of both. A primary reader is the person who ordered
the report to be written or the person for whom a report is intended. This reader
will usually read the entire report. Secondary readers are those who will read
only the sections of the report that relate to them, their jobs, their departments,
responsibilities, etc. For example, in the case of a report that details funding for
different departments, a superintendent may only want to read the section that
relates to piping. This is where format, a table of contents, page numbers, the
use of headings, etc. is significant in allowing easy access to information. It
saves time when the piping superintendent can scan through the document and
clearly find the heading that identifies his department.
o STYLE CONVENTIONS: Similar to formatting and language, there are also
specific style conventions, or expectations, associated with different genres of
writing. Academic papers, cover letters, résumés, business plans, and other
documents tend to follow these conventions – some explicit (stated directly) and
some implicit (unstated or indirectly stated). For example, Modern Language
Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) styles dictate
exactly what academic papers should look like. Associated Press (AP) style
shapes the look of newspaper text, and Institute for Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) style governs engineering documents.
STYLE GUIDES: For every context in which you write, you will discover
that field-specific style guides influence the appearance of a text, the way
language is used, the preferred terminology and vocabulary, and the way
sources are cited. Business- and commerce-established firms like
Panasonic, IKEA, eBay, Sears, and Trader Joe’s have a style too. To
preserve their brand identity, firms create recognizable, memorable logos
and make sure their documents follow a certain agreed-upon style.
Government and civic organizations also have logos and letterhead; even
government and military documents are influenced by specific style
conventions.
o These style conventions matter. For each document design, you will need to
know what set of conventions applies to it. For example, a cover letter should
generally follow traditional business letter format. Memos and emails will look
slightly different; we do not expect to see an address block for the letter recipient
on an email because a street address is not needed to reply. Within your
program of study and individual classes, the program or the professor will
determine style, citation, and formatting conventions like MLA or APA. Style and
, formatting guides recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) still
help you when dealing with online publications. In the professional world, you
will need to find out field-specific or company-specific style and citation
conventions.
CONSISTENCY: Many bemoan the lack of a consistent style on web
pages; inconsistency sometimes detracts from readability, can negatively
affect the document’s/author’s ethos, and may create confusion that
reduces clarity. We may not know who wrote the text, where it comes
from, or when it was produced. Readers may hesitate to assign real
credibility to an undated, unsourced blog written by a stranger – and
rightly so. This is why sites like Wikipedia demand sources and format all
entries the same. The look and feel of Wikipedia is now familiar to people
around the world, and it is used as a source in some writing contexts, for
good or for ill, precisely because its content has predictable regularity and
its easy-to-navigate entries are popular with readers.
o However, producing good publications involves much more than following style
conventions. There’s a variety of concepts to consider and many important
choices to make when planning the best method of communicating your
message.
5.3 – BASIC GUIDELINES: The first step in document design involves identifying the
genre and its conventions (as discussed above), which may vary widely based on
context, audience, and purpose. Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when
dealing with business writing:
o Add and vary graphics. For non-specialist audiences, you may want to use
more graphics – and simpler ones at that. Documents geared toward the non-
specialist tend to have more decorative, technical, and detailed graphics.
o Break up text or consolidate it into meaningful, usable chunks. For non-
specialist readers, you will likely construct shorter paragraphs of around six to
eight lines. Technical documents written for specialists will include much longer
paragraphs.
o Use headings and lists. Readers can be intimidated by dense paragraphs of
writing. (Technical writers may refer to a long paragraph that is difficult to scan
as “a wall of prose.”) Incorporate headings whenever possible – for example,
when a topic or subtopic is introduced. Also search your document for written
lists that can be made into vertical lists. Look for paired listings such as terms
and their definitions; these can become two-column lists.
o Use special typography. Typically, sans serif fonts, such as Arial, are useful for
online readers. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, are useful for print texts.
o Work with margins, line length, line spacing, type size, and type style. For
non-specialist readers, you can increase readability by making the lines shorter
(adjusting the margins) and using larger type sizes.
o Include bullet points. Long lists can often be broken down into smaller bulleted
chunks of information for ease of reading. Some genres, like the résumé, place
emphasis on bulleted phrases rather than complete sentences. When using
bullet points, keep in mind the following:
Use a lead-in to introduce the list items and to indicate the meaning or
purpose of the list (and punctuate it with a colon).
Check spacing, indentation, punctuation, and caps to ensure consistency.
Make list items parallel in phrasing.
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: This chapter briefly summarizes fundamental concepts to
consider as you craft print and electronic texts. In this chapter you will read about basic
principles of document design that allow readers to combine graphic elements with text
to convey a message to audiences. Beginning with a discussion of standard
conventions (of formatting, language, and style), this chapter then shares some basic
guidelines for document design, moving forward to focus on integration of graphics,
callouts, and captions. Other topics include tables of contents, figures and tables,
headings and the well-known CRAP test used by graphic designers. For additional
resources, see the activities included at the chapter’s end.
5.1 – INTRODUCTION: A text’s visual appeal matters to the reader, so it should also
matter to the writer. Letters, reports, and blogs are more than just words on a page or
screen. How ideas are arranged and delivered, whether electronically or on paper, can
make reading seem intimidating, confusing, or downright unfriendly, even if the content
itself is perfect. Conversely a document’s design can draw in readers and engage them
with your ideas. Think of the text as a room for your thoughts. Sometimes you want
readers to get in and get out quickly, but often you want them to sit down and make
themselves comfortable, put their feet up and stay a while. Regardless of your specific
goal, it is important to make deliberate decisions about the design elements that affect
audience experience. As readers, we may seem a bit like TV viewers with remote
controls. In a moment, attention may be diverted to another channel if something about
the content distracts us. For this reason, a writer must consider carefully how to capture
readers’ attention and hold it. Good content is a key part of this, of course, but the visual
presentation of the content matters too. Reading is a difficult, cognitively demanding
task, so if your design helps makes readers’ journey through the text easier, you will hold
their attention longer. Give your audience reasons to linger, and they will.
o Document design: You already engage in document design practices. For
instance, when formatting an academic essay, you center your title and separate
the content into paragraphs, which signals to the reader that it is time for a
breather, the content is shifting slightly, or you are introducing a new topic. You
illustrate blogs, Web pages, and PowerPoint slides with photos and graphics,
animations, or videos. Even small elements of your writing help guide readers:
indentation, changes in type style (bold, italics, underline), or punctuation at the
end of a sentence. Professional writers, especially those who work for well-
funded websites and mass-market print publications, are fortunate enough to
have the services of artists, graphic designers, skilled photographers, and layout
experts. But most of us just want to have a cooler-looking blog, a more
professional-looking report, or an eBay listing that reinforces our credibility. In
many respects, document design is both a science and an art. The layout of
documents – their content, color scheme, alignment, etc. – is the result of
individual choices. It takes a long time to master the finer points of design. As a
starting point, this chapter will offer some strategies for making your documents
intuitive and audience friendly: easy to scan, search, and read. The goal of this
chapter is to familiarize you with a few basic ways of thinking that designers
know well. Whether you are typing up a memo on safety policies at work,
producing a newsletter for your community, or putting together a booklet
describing a new app, the following elements of document design are meant for
you.
, 5.2 – STANDARD CONVENTIONS: Appropriate format, language, and style are the
basic design elements of all technical documents. A format with a structure that leads
readers through the text and shows the hierarchical relationships among ideas – from
most important to least important – is crucial. Readers should be able to identify the
organizational pattern very quickly when scanning a technical document. The document
should be reader friendly, or reader-centered rather than writer-centered. Using
appropriate language provides readers with a thorough understanding of the document’s
purpose, how it relates to the individual needs, and any actions readers will need to take.
Although it is helpful to examine each element of a document individually, it is also wise
to step back and consider the interrelation of elements, or how all components work
together to communicate a message to a specific audience. In this sense, everything
from language and style to a text’s visual aspects may either contribute to or detract
from its overall design.
o READERS/AUDIENCES: As discussed previously in the chapter on audience
(see Chapter 2), a document may have one primary reader, several secondary
readers, or a combination of both. A primary reader is the person who ordered
the report to be written or the person for whom a report is intended. This reader
will usually read the entire report. Secondary readers are those who will read
only the sections of the report that relate to them, their jobs, their departments,
responsibilities, etc. For example, in the case of a report that details funding for
different departments, a superintendent may only want to read the section that
relates to piping. This is where format, a table of contents, page numbers, the
use of headings, etc. is significant in allowing easy access to information. It
saves time when the piping superintendent can scan through the document and
clearly find the heading that identifies his department.
o STYLE CONVENTIONS: Similar to formatting and language, there are also
specific style conventions, or expectations, associated with different genres of
writing. Academic papers, cover letters, résumés, business plans, and other
documents tend to follow these conventions – some explicit (stated directly) and
some implicit (unstated or indirectly stated). For example, Modern Language
Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) styles dictate
exactly what academic papers should look like. Associated Press (AP) style
shapes the look of newspaper text, and Institute for Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) style governs engineering documents.
STYLE GUIDES: For every context in which you write, you will discover
that field-specific style guides influence the appearance of a text, the way
language is used, the preferred terminology and vocabulary, and the way
sources are cited. Business- and commerce-established firms like
Panasonic, IKEA, eBay, Sears, and Trader Joe’s have a style too. To
preserve their brand identity, firms create recognizable, memorable logos
and make sure their documents follow a certain agreed-upon style.
Government and civic organizations also have logos and letterhead; even
government and military documents are influenced by specific style
conventions.
o These style conventions matter. For each document design, you will need to
know what set of conventions applies to it. For example, a cover letter should
generally follow traditional business letter format. Memos and emails will look
slightly different; we do not expect to see an address block for the letter recipient
on an email because a street address is not needed to reply. Within your
program of study and individual classes, the program or the professor will
determine style, citation, and formatting conventions like MLA or APA. Style and
, formatting guides recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) still
help you when dealing with online publications. In the professional world, you
will need to find out field-specific or company-specific style and citation
conventions.
CONSISTENCY: Many bemoan the lack of a consistent style on web
pages; inconsistency sometimes detracts from readability, can negatively
affect the document’s/author’s ethos, and may create confusion that
reduces clarity. We may not know who wrote the text, where it comes
from, or when it was produced. Readers may hesitate to assign real
credibility to an undated, unsourced blog written by a stranger – and
rightly so. This is why sites like Wikipedia demand sources and format all
entries the same. The look and feel of Wikipedia is now familiar to people
around the world, and it is used as a source in some writing contexts, for
good or for ill, precisely because its content has predictable regularity and
its easy-to-navigate entries are popular with readers.
o However, producing good publications involves much more than following style
conventions. There’s a variety of concepts to consider and many important
choices to make when planning the best method of communicating your
message.
5.3 – BASIC GUIDELINES: The first step in document design involves identifying the
genre and its conventions (as discussed above), which may vary widely based on
context, audience, and purpose. Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when
dealing with business writing:
o Add and vary graphics. For non-specialist audiences, you may want to use
more graphics – and simpler ones at that. Documents geared toward the non-
specialist tend to have more decorative, technical, and detailed graphics.
o Break up text or consolidate it into meaningful, usable chunks. For non-
specialist readers, you will likely construct shorter paragraphs of around six to
eight lines. Technical documents written for specialists will include much longer
paragraphs.
o Use headings and lists. Readers can be intimidated by dense paragraphs of
writing. (Technical writers may refer to a long paragraph that is difficult to scan
as “a wall of prose.”) Incorporate headings whenever possible – for example,
when a topic or subtopic is introduced. Also search your document for written
lists that can be made into vertical lists. Look for paired listings such as terms
and their definitions; these can become two-column lists.
o Use special typography. Typically, sans serif fonts, such as Arial, are useful for
online readers. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, are useful for print texts.
o Work with margins, line length, line spacing, type size, and type style. For
non-specialist readers, you can increase readability by making the lines shorter
(adjusting the margins) and using larger type sizes.
o Include bullet points. Long lists can often be broken down into smaller bulleted
chunks of information for ease of reading. Some genres, like the résumé, place
emphasis on bulleted phrases rather than complete sentences. When using
bullet points, keep in mind the following:
Use a lead-in to introduce the list items and to indicate the meaning or
purpose of the list (and punctuate it with a colon).
Check spacing, indentation, punctuation, and caps to ensure consistency.
Make list items parallel in phrasing.
