Much as we crib about Microsoft Office products, it's the most used software suite in almost any industry. However, it's also the one that people spend no official time learning. This presentation shows how simple design concepts applied to Microsoft Office products can greatly improve the quality of your documents and make it pleasurable for the reader.
2. “The value of documentation is only to be realized if the document
is well done. If it is poorly done, it will be worse than no document at
all.”
Gerald M Weinberg
3. “In the beginner‟s mind there are
many possibilities. In the expert‟s
mind, there are few”
Shunryu Suzuki
4. Agenda
Core principles
Before-After
Best practices
9. What do they need?
How much will they understand?
10. Know your readers
Specify your target audience
Provide context (background information)
Specify scope
Do not assume reader‟s background beyond minimum
Provide future references
11. It‟s taken all my life to
learn what not to play.
Dizzy Gillespie
13. Abstract or Summary
For the casual reader or the
executive
Provides enough information to
understand the purpose and what
the document achieves
14. High-level detail
For the more involved
reader or the manager
Provides enough data
points to conduct
meetings or
conversations
15. Full Detail
For the involved reader
Provides in-depth
explanation of the high-level
topics
16. Reference
Give something for those
interested in following up
Related material
Documentation supporting
claims made in text
18. How to make your points stick?
Simplicity
Unexpectedness
Concreteness
Credibility
Emotion
Story
19. “Our mission is to become the international leader in the space industry through
maximum team-centered innovation and strategically targeted aerospace
initiatives.”
20. “…put a man on the moon and return him
safely by the end of the decade.”
21. 6 ways to see and 6 ways to show
Use the right picture to
convey your data
22. Use fonts and type to emphasize your
point
Si
Contrast ze
Weight
Repetition
Structure
Alignment
Form
Proximity
Direction
color
34. Best Practices
Core principles
Before-After
Best practices
35. Common Best Practices
Provide visual equivalents where applicable
DO NOT USE ALL-CAPS – It reduces readability
And how about this very important
CAN YOU READ THIS BIG BLOB Or can you read this equally big blob
piece of information contained in
OF TEXT SCREAMING AT YOU of text that contains equally important
BUT NEVERTHELESS CONTAINS information without screaming? this big blob of text with appropriate
VERY IMPORTANT
emphasis and white space?
INFORMATION?
Use Only Initial Caps When Necessary – It‟s distracting
…or important information about Big
Important Information About Big
Company with initial caps for nouns
Company But With All Initial Caps…
only?
Keep consistent fonts
36. Best Practices : Document
Do not separate content from heading
Make your documents printer-friendly
Apply the corporate template to the
document even if it is internal or one-
off
and…
38. Correct your reds, greens, and blues
– Spelling errors
Red
Green – Grammatical errors
– Contextual errors (new in 2007)
Blue
39. Do not leave empty rows in tables
You can always hit the TAB button later!
40. Use format and styling
Identify headings and normal text
Use them for generating TOC
41. Best Practices : Presentation
Pictures + Text = Better presentation
Use animation only when needed (such as adding suspense)
Presentation = Slides [+ Notes + Handout]
Reduce the footprint of the document
Remove empty bullets
and…
44. Best Practices : Spreadsheet
Avoid using macros when possible
Remove unwanted sheets (Sheet2, Sheet3)
Rename sheets to reflect the associated content
and…
49. Best Practices : E-mail
Use Spelling & Grammar check before hitting „send‟
Read what you wrote at least once
Add your contact information – always!
Do not cut and paste images – insert them as JPEG attachments
50. “First you master your instrument.
Then you master the music. Then
you forget about all the shit you just
learned and just play”
Charlie Parker