Today, everything in this world is getting more competitive. From financial Institutions, music industries, and even publishing. This is because the new generation is getting more cognitive in their choices (which they are spoiled with) and because most businesses are getting smarter. There are 1001 ways to get to the consumers. Communication is just a 'click' away. In the document publishing field, there are many new and young editors who are getting more creative by the days to gain the interest of readers. Writing techniques, sentence structures, words arrangement, multi-modalities, and the list goes on and on. Lets not get carried away, I am talking about a good document here. Next comes the question, "What is a good document"?
A good document will allow it's reader to read efficiently, emphasizes on the important contents and encourages readers to feel good about a communication. (Anderson, 1987) In my own opinion, a good document will make its reader straight away remember it's contents for a long time.
To create a good document, editors cannot simply start with no proper strategy. According to Putnis & Petelin's in Writing to Communicate, there are eight (8) specific strategies to document design.
A good document will allow it's reader to read efficiently, emphasizes on the important contents and encourages readers to feel good about a communication. (Anderson, 1987) In my own opinion, a good document will make its reader straight away remember it's contents for a long time.
To create a good document, editors cannot simply start with no proper strategy. According to Putnis & Petelin's in Writing to Communicate, there are eight (8) specific strategies to document design.
- Make sure there is a recognizable pattern or flow of information.
- Consider the reader's expectation of a document in the genre you are using.
- Balance the negative (white) space with the positive (text, title, visuals) space.
- Align the edges and borders of visuals and text in an orderly fashion—though do not
- automatically justify your right margin, unless you are using two columns on your page. A ragged right edge on a one-column page is easier to read than a justified right margin.
- Balance the visuals (graphics) and text within the page.
- Do not use more than two typefaces (one for text and one for headings).
- Bind the document in such a way that it lies flat when open.
- Make sure that the pages are all there, that there's only one of each, that they're in the
- correct order, and that they are the right way up.
Recognizing Pattern/Flow of Information
An editor must understand that readers go through a 'recursive, interactive process' (Walsh 2005) when they look at words or images. This means that readers will relate the things they are reading with past experiences. When they see a recognizable pattern in a document, they will get more into it.
Considering Reader's Expectation
Here, explanations will be based on an example. A new car launched by Toyota fact sheet - Readers will expect to read the specifications of the car, the picture of the car, etc. One don't put up advertising promotions in the fact sheet.
Balance the spaces
The proportion between the white spacing and the contents must be balanced.
Aligning Edges and Borders
The borders and edges of the items in the document must be aligned neatly. This is to make the document more organized.
Balancing Visuals and Text
Order is the key here. An editor must know exactly how to fashion thier documents to capture the interests of the readers. Words, Visuals, Hyperlinks, must be placed to ease the readers preferences.
Typefaces (Fonts) Usage
Using more than two typefaces (fonts) in your document will make the document unorganized.
Binding the Documents
For printed documents, making sure that it lies flat when opened is essential. This is because readers usually reads on flat surfaces (study tables, floors, etc.) and want the documents to be balanced on the surfaces.
Organizing Pages
Do not miss a page when binding the document, each page is important as missing one page can stuck readers in thier reading.
An editor must understand that readers go through a 'recursive, interactive process' (Walsh 2005) when they look at words or images. This means that readers will relate the things they are reading with past experiences. When they see a recognizable pattern in a document, they will get more into it.
Considering Reader's Expectation
Here, explanations will be based on an example. A new car launched by Toyota fact sheet - Readers will expect to read the specifications of the car, the picture of the car, etc. One don't put up advertising promotions in the fact sheet.
Balance the spaces
The proportion between the white spacing and the contents must be balanced.
Aligning Edges and Borders
The borders and edges of the items in the document must be aligned neatly. This is to make the document more organized.
Balancing Visuals and Text
Order is the key here. An editor must know exactly how to fashion thier documents to capture the interests of the readers. Words, Visuals, Hyperlinks, must be placed to ease the readers preferences.
Typefaces (Fonts) Usage
Using more than two typefaces (fonts) in your document will make the document unorganized.
Binding the Documents
For printed documents, making sure that it lies flat when opened is essential. This is because readers usually reads on flat surfaces (study tables, floors, etc.) and want the documents to be balanced on the surfaces.
Organizing Pages
Do not miss a page when binding the document, each page is important as missing one page can stuck readers in thier reading.
Also remember to revise/edit/proofread before publishing the document
Using multimodals are also essential in document design nowadays. As readers gets more savvy in thier reading, editors must catch up to the readers. Multimodal are defined as 'text that have more than one mode, so that meaning is communicated through a synchronization of modes' (Walsh, 2005).
Multimodals can help readers to understand a document easier. Words that allign with pictures, moving pictures, audios, hyperlinks, etc. through a synchronization will make readers thoroughly understand a subject.
Reference List
- Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. 2006. Reading images. Chapter 1: The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication
- Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. 2006. Reading images. Chapter 6: The meaning of composition
- Walsh, M. 2006,” ‘Textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print,visual and multimodal texts,”
- Putnis & Petelin, 'Writing to communicate' Document Designing
bla bla bla... borrriiiiinnnnngggg
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