This document outlines guidelines for effective document design, including concepts like arrangement of visual elements, consistent formatting, and physical layout considerations. It discusses functions of design like aiding comprehension and motivation. Principles of design discussed include arrangement, emphasis, clarity, conciseness, and tone. Elements of design covered are columns, line length, whitespace, visuals, headings, and type. Implementation strategies explained are chunking information, using whitespace, establishing sequences, and signaling relationships through cues. The overall goal is instant and lasting communication.

1. Document Design:
Guidelines for Effective
Information Layout

2. Some Concepts
 Arrangement
 Organization of visual elements
 Sequence of information—
chronological, causal, hierarchical
 Format
 Consistent design conventions of
recurring elements such as headings,
typeface, margins, columns, and boxes

3. Some Concepts
 Layout
 Arrangement of elements on a
page

4. Some Concepts
 Physical appearance
 Shape
Portrait or landscape
Full page, folded brochure (tent
style or book style), tri-fold, etc.
 Paper weight, color, and texture
 Type of binding
Coil, tape, binder

5. Functions of Design
 Provides access to information
 Aids comprehension
 Enhances recall
 Motivates readers
 Meets readers’ expectations
 Facilitates ongoing use

6. Kostelnick and Roberts,
Designing Visual Language
Principles of Design—
Arrangement
 Arrangement—
shows structure
of information
 Through
numbering
 Spatial
arrangement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.0
1.1
1.2
2.0
2.1
2.2

7. Kostelnick and Roberts,
Designing Visual Language
Principles of Design—
Emphasis
 Emphasis—
controls what
stands out

8. Kostelnick and Roberts,
Designing Visual Language
Principles of Design—Clarity
 Clarity—helps readers to access
information quickly
 Encompasses many design elements
 Typefaces
• Easy to read?
• Appropriate for audience?
• Demonstrates professionalism?
• EASY-TO-READ ALL CAPS?

9. Principles of Design—Clarity
(con’t)
 Charts
 Illustrations
Cats Dogs Birds Fish
2001
2002
Cost
Species
Year
Household Pets
40-50
30-40
20-30
10-20
0-10

10. Principles of Design—
Conciseness
 Conciseness—designs that are
appropriately succinct
Fish
1
2
Birds
1
2
Dogs
1
2
Cats
2001
2002
Charts are too
concise to
communicate
effectively

11. Kostelnick and Roberts,
Designing Visual Language
Principles of Design—
Conciseness
 Information consolidated
Strays Adopted
0
10
20
30
40
50
Cats Dogs Birds Fish
Species
Number
2001
2002
Be careful of those stray fish.

12. Kostelnick and Roberts,
Designing Visual Language
Principles of Design—Tone
and Ethos
 Tone-reveals the designer’s attitude
toward the audience
 Ethos-cultivates a sense of
credibility with the audience

13. Elements of Design
 Number of columns
 Line length
 White spaces—margins, open space,
vertical or horizontal layouts
 Visuals—number and placement

14. Elements of Design
 Paragraph length and indentation
 Lists—numbered, bulleted
 Headings—levels, size, font, capital
style, placement
 Portrait vs. landscape page
orientation
 Type—font, size, style

15. Elements of Design
 Rules, boxes, underlining, pointers
 Shading, color
 Binding, folding, document size
 Paper—weight, color, texture

16. Document Design
Decisions
 Do I use text or a visual
representation?
 Where do I place text, visuals?
 How many columns should I use?
 How do I group common elements?
 What type styles and sizes should I
use?
 How do I accommodate different types
of readers?

17. Implementing Design Principles
 Chunking
 Coding information into meaningful
units and separating them from
other units
 Using White Space
 White space is not a left over area,
it is an active design element that
separates and emphasizes

18. Implementing Design Principles
 Sequencing
 Establishing a sequence of stops for the
reader (large to small, high to low, left
to right, color to black and white, bold
to light, irregular to normal shapes)

19. Implementing Design Principles
 Navigating
 Using navigational aids such as visual
markers (tabs, bullets, graphics, white
space) and verbal guides (table of
contents, lists, headings, indices,
headers, footers)

20. Implementing Design Principles
 Signaling
 Using cues that preview organization,
indicate hierarchy, or show
relationships such as type size, italics,
bold, color, underlining, preview
statements, connectives

21. Advantages of Effective
Document Design
 Accommodates different types of
reading
 Points readers to most important
material
 Promotes comprehension
 Enhances recall
GOAL: Instant and lasting
communication