Chapter 9 Layout and Design

Layout and Design Layout refers to the factors that allow readers to skim, jump from place to place, and refer back to information with minimal effort and time. Design is the process and result of arranging all of the visual elements of a document that give the document its shape and look.

Layout, Design, and the Problem-Solving Approach Plan: choose your strategy, medium, and technologies Draft: integrate visual and graphical elements Distribute: publish in appropriate form

In many ways the content of your document cannot be separated from the design of the document, and the design of your document depends on the content, audience, and purpose.

Principles of Document Architecture Consider how text and images can be positioned and designed for readability. Make visual-rhetorical choices about the placement and layout of information on a page. Understand aesthetic choices – those that make a document look pleasing to the eye. Understand functional choices – those that aid a document in achieving its purpose.

Balance Consider how elements are arranged and aligned to create a unified whole. Place important elements in the optical center. Consider symmetrical layout, where there is equal weight on both sides of the document. Consider asymmetrical layout, where “heavier,” more visually striking elements are offset by less-striking elements.

Connection Items in close proximity to one another are often “connected” visually by the reader. This principle allows readers to easily interpret a relationship between elements.

Duplication Suggests that elements of the same type, importance, or magnitude should use the same basic format, layout, and design Coordinates elements of equal importance – like section headings, for example – for consistency and clarity

Variation Varying sizes of elements shows contrasts or differences between them. Varying positions of elements shows a hierarchy of different elements, focuses a reader’s attention on a particular point, or signals a change or break in the topic.

Flow Flow refers to the movement of the reader’s eye from one part of a document to another. Fluid design provides a clear and logical sense of movement from one section, idea, or image to the next. Fluid designs make ample use of white space and avoid the overuse of borders and horizontal lines.

Elements of Document Architecture Space: consider the size of the document Time: consider the amount available Money: consider your budget Equipment: consider available tools Collaborators: consider their strengths Readers: consider their needs

Typography The arrangement, style, appearance, and printing of text on a page Typography consists of: Font style Font size Emphasis Case Spacing Justification

Font Style Fonts can strike a variety of moods in the reader, from formal to informal, professional to creative. Choose recognizable fonts that are relatively simple and unadorned. Serifed fonts are considered easier to read. Sans-serif fonts offer a clean and modern look.

Font Size Should be large enough to be readable, but not so large that it wastes space or appears awkward Usually ranges from 10 to 14 points on paper Generally appears smaller in online documents Emphasizes some sections of text and provides contrasts when varied

Devices for Emphasis Boldface emphasizes through contrast —useful for headings, captions, or logos Italicized text attracts the eye — useful for in-sentence emphasis Colored text emphasizes — useful for alerting readers to cautions or warnings CAPITALIZED text lends extreme emphasis — useful for importance or urgency

Titles and Headings Forecast and introduce the subjects that follow Allow readers to easily find, reread, or refer to specific sections in the document Work best when they are descriptive and specific

Titles and Headings Titles Headings Appear on either a separate cover page or on the first page of text Should be placed on the top 1/3 of the page Are usually centered Headings Divide information into comprehensible sections within a larger document Are typically written as short phrases

Captions Identify or describe information in visuals Follow the same principles of brevity, specificity, and length as headings Are usually centered directly below the graphic to which they refer Are often included after a table or figure number

Headers and Footers Line the top and bottom edges of documents Provide quick, consistent reference information Often have dedicated functions in word processing programs

Lists Employ lists to emphasize words, phrases, or groups of items, or to summarize information Use an ordered format (numbered) when sequence is important Use an unordered format (bulleted) when items are of equal value Maintain consistency in length and style

Line Length, Spacing, and Justification Line length refers to the characters on a line Excessive length can exhaust the reader. Line spacing (“leading”) refers to the amount of whitespace separating lines of text Balance between seeming too empty and too crowded. Line justification refers to how the words are aligned along the margins of the page Left justification is easier to read, while full justification gives a professional appearance

White Space Is the empty area around the content Keeps related items together, while providing breathing room between blocks (“chunking”) Can increase the effectiveness of design elements

Paper Paper size is influenced by document genre Page count is determined by economics and psychology Paper quality suggests the importance of the document, but also influenced by economics

Binding Plastic grip Three-ring or loose-leaf Comb or spiral Saddle Perfect