Page Design

1
Page Design

• Also called Visual Design refers to structure
  and appearance of information on the page
• Elements Legible type, Generous margins, Textual
  divisions, Headings, Lists, Integration of
  visuals
• Importance Aids in easier location of
  information for reader and, in general, makes
  document more readable

2
Legible Type

• Use 12-point type size
• Use upper and lower case letters (avoid ALL CAPS)
• Use a serif font (like Times New Roman or
  Garamond) for text.
• Use a sans serif font (like Verdana, Helvetica,
  or Arial) for headings.
• Single-spacing within paragraphs

3
Generous Margins

• 1-inch top and bottom margins
• 1-inch or 1.25-inch side margins
• Ragged right margin (avoid full justification)

4
Textual Divisions

• Paragraph breaks after about 5 or 6 sentences
• Double-spacing between paragraphs
• Groups of related paragraphs organized into
  separate sections
• Extra space between sections (at least
  double-space)

5
Headings

• MAJOR HEADINGS
• SECONDARY HEADINGS
• Secondary Headings
• Secondary Headings
• Subtopic Heading Place the subtopic heading in
  the same line of the text that follows it. You
  may underline the subtopic heading or use
  boldface type, as the examples here illustrate.
  OR
• Subtopic Heading. Then start the line of text.

6
Lists

• Use lists to simplify and draw attention to
  important items.
• Use a numbered list if ranking or order is
  important
• Use bullets, asterisks, or dashes if ranking and
  order are not important

7

• Today's agenda Finish covering page design, Work
  with wayfinding report for application/practice,
  and Q A for short report. Assignments for
  Thursday, 2/23  Short reports due at the start
  of class, study for Quiz 2 (Chapters 4 and 5,
  Unit 2 PowerPoints, class notes), and read
  Appendix A.10 (277-78). NOTE Odd exercises due
  on Tuesday, 2/28.
• OR
• Today's agenda
• Finish covering page design.
• Work with wayfinding report for
  application/practice.
• Q A for short report.
• Assignments for Thursday, 2/23
• Short reports due at the start of class.
• Study for Quiz 2 (Chapters 4 and 5, Unit 2
  PowerPoints, class notes).
• Read Appendix A.10 (277-78). NOTE Odd exercises
  due on Tuesday, 2/28.

8
Integrating Visuals

• Number and title every visual in your document
  sequentially.
• Discuss visuals first in the text of your
  document.
• Present all visuals in an appealing manner.
• Clearly label all elements and provide a key when
  necessary.
• Never omit or manipulate information.
• Avoid mechanical errors.
• Avoid cluttering the document with unnecessary
  graphics.
• Let your reader know where you found the visual
  or information in it.

9
Final Comments on Design

• Design should be implemented to assist the reader
• Avoid over-designing a document