Memo Reports
-andDesigning Documents,
Slides, and Screens
Memo Reports: Overview
What is a Memo Report?
What is it about?
What is it like?
Contents:
Introduction, Body, Conclusion, End
Sample Introduction
What is the difference?
Letter Report
An informal report mailed to a colleague or client
outside your office
Printed on letterhead and physically signed
Memo Report
An informal report printed, duplicated or emailed for a
colleague or supervisor within your company
Often duplicated or sent electronically
What is a memo report about?
Progress on a project, especially as regards a
specific portion
Results of one portion of a project
Results that may affect the remainder of a project
Results that require a response before a project
can move forward
Results of a small project
Characteristics
Contains 3-5 pages
Contains 0-3 tables or figures
Contains no separate sections
Does not provide a written background or theoretical
basis
Contains no nomenclature section
Defines symbols as they are introduced
Provides only the most pertinent equations
Does not contain a “Literature Cited” list at the end
Characteristics, continued
Concise Writing
choose words carefully
avoid repetition
Contents: Address
Memorandum Title
To: CC:
Make sure you include everyone!
From:
Date:
RE: Title
CHEN4903(1)F07 Memo Rpt 1 Tm 1
Cc:
No Salutation (Dear: )
Contents: Introduction
Introductory paragraph/s
Contains a brief explanation of the
experiment and its objective, but does
not delve into details already known by
the recipient (like where the lab is, who
gave the assignment, etc.)
Provides a summary of the results
Contents: Body
Body paragraph/s
Describes pertinent equipment
Narrates important points of procedure
Explains problems encountered
Provides an analysis and discussion of results
Contents: Conclusion
Closing paragraph/s
Makes recommendations based on the
discussion
Clear reasoning must explain why you are
making the recommendations and
conclusions you make
Contains references as footnotes (provide
publication information in footnote)
Sample Introduction
During the period from January 6 to January 27, 1992, the members of
Group F calibrated and evaluated the performance of an Omega Model
HX93V relative-humidity and temperature transmitter (Omega Engineer,
Stamford Connecticut). The transmitter was calibrated with an Omega
HX92-CAL relative-humidity calibration kit, and its accuracy was tested with
various solutions of ethylene glycol and water ranging from 10% to 100%
relative humidity (RH).
The transmitter was accurate to within 5% RH at higher relative humidities
(>50%) but was not accurate to within 5% RH at humidities lower than 50%.
The transmitter's performance in a moving airstream at temperatures
greater than room temperature was also investigated. A cardboard tube and
an air blower containing a heating element supplied a suitable stream of
heated air. A brief summary of the calibration and the results of our
performance evaluation follow.
Contents: End Matter
After the endnotes (appendix)
Background tables or figures
Raw data
Calculations
Error analysis
Designing Documents, Slides,
and Screens
Design: Part of Writing
Think about design at each step
As you plan, think about readers
Skilled or poor?
Straight through or skip around?
As you write, use lists, headings
Get feedback from your audience
As you revise, check following 8 design
guides
Why Design Matters
Creating inviting, easy to read pages
makes it more likely that your document
will be read and understood
Grouping ideas visually shows structure
Good design also:
Saves time and money
Reduces legal problems
Builds goodwill
8 Page Design Guides
1. Use white space
2. Use headings
3. Limit words in ALL CAPITALS
4. Use no more than 2 fonts per
document
8 Page Design Guides, continued
5. Justify margins selectively
6. Put key items at top left or bottom
right
7. Use a grid for visual unity
8. Limit attention-getters: bold, bullets,
colors
Use White Space
Makes message easier to read
To create white space, use—
Headings
Mix of paragraph lengths
Lists of parallel items
Use bullets
Use numbers instead of bullets
when order matters
Use Headings
Headings - words, phrases, or
sentences
Group points; divide document
Show organization
Help readers; save readers’ time
Make page look more interesting
Limit Words in
ALL CAPITALS
We recognize words by shape
Words in ALL CAPITALS
Have same rectangular shape
Often lack ascenders and descenders
Causes reader to slow down
Causes more reading errors
Use 1 or 2
Typefaces—No More
Typeface – unified styles of type
Serif typeface – letters have feet
Easy to read; used for paragraphs
Ex: Courier New, Times New Roman
Sans serif typeface – letters lack feet
Harder to read; used for headings, tables
Ex: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana
Use 1 or 2 Fonts, continued
Fixed Fonts – every letter takes up the
same amount of space
typewriter fonts are fixed
Ex: Courier, Monaco
Proportional Fonts – wider letters take
up more space than narrower letters
most computer typefaces are proportional
Ex: Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial
Use 1 or 2 Fonts, continued
Some documents use just one font
 Bold  Italics  Varied sizes
Font size
12-point: good for readers over 40 (and
many under 40, too)
11-point: ideal for memos, letters, reports
headings may, and often should, be larger
10-point: often too small
Justify Margins Selectively
Full justification – text
even at left and right margin
Want formal look
Writing to skilled readers
Using proportional font
Want to use fewest pages
Use in
these
cases
Justify Margins Selectively,
continued
Left justification – text even on
left, uneven on right
Want informal look
Use very short lines
Writing to less-skilled readers
Not using proportional font
Want to revise selected pages
Use in
these
cases
Put Key Items at Top Left or
Bottom Right
Readers’ eyes move in Z pattern
Starts at upper left corner of page
Reads to the right and down
Quadrants in order of importance
1.
2.
3.
4.
Top left
Bottom right
Bottom left
Top right
1
2
Use a Grid for Visual Unity
Grid – 2 or 3 imaginary columns
on page; may be subdivided
All elements lined up in columns
Creates pleasing symmetry
Unifies long documents
Designing Presentation
Slides
Use a big font
44 to 50 point for titles
32 point for subheads
28 point for examples
Use bullet-point phrases, not
sentences
Use clear, concise language
Designing Presentation Slides,
continued
Make only 3 to 5 points per slide
Customize your slides
logo 
photo  chart
Use animation to control flow, build
interest
Too much distracts the audience
Final Design Tips
Limit attention getters
Test designs on actual audiences
Limit Attention-Getters
Add interest with dingbats, clip art
Dingbats – small pieces of line art
    
Clip art – larger images inserted in text
Use “highlighters” sparingly
Limit Attention-Getters, continued
Create unified look—
Repeat text color in bullets, lines
Use same colors throughout
Make text, background contrast
Use glossy paper for vivid colors
Note, colors look brighter on screen than
on paper
Limit Attention-Getters:
Color
Limit colors to 4 per page—2 main
colors, 2 accents
Use color for main headings, not
details
Blue
Green
Violet
Text colors
for readers
under 50
In North America, red
means danger
3 Design Tests
Watch someone use document to do a
task
Ask reader to think aloud during task
Interrupt at key points to find out what
reader thinks
Ask reader to describe thought process
afterwards
Ask reader to put + and - signs in margins
to show likes and dislikes