Page Design and Elements
TECO 63
M. Reber
1-05
Page Design
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Helps readers understand information
Indicates hierarchy of ideas and concepts
Helps readers locate information
Emphasizes the most important content
Encourages readers to feel good about a
communication and its subject matter
Design Principles
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Consider your reader and purpose
Align related visual elements with one
another
Use contrast to establish hierarchy and focus
Use proximity to group related elements
Use repetition to unify your communication
visually
Select font types that are easy to read
Design for ease of use and attractiveness
Design Elements
Elements
Refers to
Headings and titles
Labels for sections of your communication
Text
Paragraphs, sentences, lists, steps
White space
Blank areas
Visual aids
Drawings, graphs, tables…
Headers and footers
Page number, author name…
Physical features of paper Shape, size and bindings
Headings and Titles
Headings
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Are the titles and subtitles you insert into the
text of documents to indicate the topic and
purpose of the paragraphs
Provide an overview of the document/section
Indicate the logic of the documents
Indicate the topic of the upcoming section
Enable readers to read selectively
Provide breaks and white space in dense text
Keep readers focused
Keep the writer focused and organized
Designing Headings
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Use no more than four levels of headings
Make headings bold and avoid all caps
Consistently distinguish heading level by proportionate point
size, indentation, font type (italics), capitalization, and other
graphic elements
Use san serif fonts such as Helvetica, Optima, or Ariel
Make the phrasing of headings accurate and descriptive
Make headings grammatically parallel
Use an appropriate number of headings
Use task-oriented headings in instructions
Avoid lone headings or stacked headings
Do not use headings as lead-ins to lists, figures, or tables
Adjust paragraph spacing above and below headings
Level 1
Heading
Level 2
Heading
Text
General Guidelines for Text
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Generally use 9-11 point size for body text,
depending on the dimensions and purpose of
your document
Use serif fonts such as Times New Roman,
Garamond, Palatino, or New Century Schoolbook
Single space body text
Indent text line to create a column of white
space on the right-hand side
Adjust paragraph spacing above and below
paragraphs and text elements
Do not shift text margins with heading margins
Lists: Bulleted and Numbered
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Bulleted lists emphasize two or more items where order is
not crucial
Some bullet lists have labels with a term in bold followed by
a description or definition
Numbered lists have items that are in a required order,
chronological process, or that must be referred to by
number
Numbered lists usually indicate a step-by-step process that
must be completed in a specific, sequential order
Lists add emphasis, increase readability, and add white
space
Bulleted
List
Numbered
List
Guidelines for Lists
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Use the right type of list (number or bullet)
Include a lead-in sentence ending with a colon
Check the grammatical connection between list items and the lead-in
Avoid using too many lists or creating lists with too many items
Don’t use lists with only one item
Use standard punctuation and capitalization on list items
Adjust spacing between list items for readability
Make the phrasing of list items parallel
Avoid lead articles on list items
Correctly align list items and nested list items
Include a bullet list at the end of the Overview or Introduction that lists
and explains all your H1s in your guide
If additional information/definitions follow the item, add a period after
the item in bold, and add the extra text in unbold on the same line
Steps
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Begin each step with a verb in command
form (omit “you”)
Bold the command sentence
Put additional information, notes, explanation
about each step is in unbold text on the same
line or on the very next line
Include only one action per step (unless two
actions must be completed simultaneously)
White Space
White Space
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Is defined as any space on the page where
there is no text
Adds visual clarity to the document
Is created by defining the space along the
margins, between lines, paragraphs,
indentation, lead-ins & bullet text, bullets &
the adjoining bulleted-text, etc.
Is created through the Styles and Formatting
option in the Format Menu of MS-Word
White Space
Left Margin
Spacing
Heading &
Paragraph
Text Spacing
Right Margin
Spacing
Lead-in & Bullet
Text Spacing
Bullet Spacing
Bullet and Bullet
Text Spacing
Paragraph
Spacing
Visual Aids
Notes, Warnings, and Tips
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Notices are special emphasis techniques for text
Search the text for situations that match the situations for your notices
Place notices with the text to which they apply
Present high-severity notices at the beginning of a document
Align notices with the text to which they apply
Consolidate multiple notices when possible
Use notice types consistently
The types of notices are:
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Danger: for situations where serious injury or fatality could occur
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Warning: for situations where minor injury could occur
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Caution: for situations where damage to equipment or data could
occur
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Note: for situations where information needs to be emphasized,
for exceptions, special points, hints, and tips
Guidelines for Notices
While writing warnings and danger
notices, consider including:
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Conditions
Actions to avoid or to take
Consequences
Recovery
Note
Tables, Graphs, and Charts
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Tables are rows and columns of numbers, words, or
symbols
Graphs show changes in data over time
Charts are graphical representation of data in the
form of bar and pie charts, in general
Use lists, charts, flowcharts, tables, diagrams, and
graphics to clarify and organize information
Always introduce bullet lists and graphics with a
sentence followed by a colon (:)
Types of Illustrations
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Photographs
Drawings
Flowcharts and other conceptual drawings
Diagrams and schematics
Headers and Footers
Headers and Footers
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Include a footer on all pages except the
cover page and table of contents page
Footers should be of the same font type
you use for your headings
Footer consists of three items: your
name, the title of your guide, and the
date
Header
Footer
Physical Features of Paper
Physical Features of Paper
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Readers usually prefer manuals that are
compact and manageable, such as 7 X 9
Use a paper that is thick enough so that text
and graphics do not bleed through when you
print on both sides
A paper with a slight gloss can look very
professional
For binding, use coil, saddle stitch, or staples
covered carefully by high quality tape