Sunday, February 21, 2010
Document Aesthetics
We've spoken a bit this semester about the harmony that must exist in a technical document between the content of the text and the design of the text. What are some of the principal features that an effective piece of technical communication should have in terms of document design? Think of some of the pieces of technical communication we've examined so far this term (that your book has also discussed): corporate ethics policies, resumes, instructions manuals, memoranda, etc. What kinds of choices does the technical communicator need to make in terms of document design?
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First the technical writer needs to decide which information is the most important. Then they must think about in what format the information will be the easiest to understand.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in a technical document the margins and relative positions of each section should coincide with each other. Furthermore, a technical document should be easy to follow at a "glance of an eye," and follow a progressive structure.
ReplyDeleteA document design should be well thought out. It needs to be concise and effectively present relevant information. Personal flairs can be used in moderation, but they should not overwhelm the purpose of the document.
ReplyDeleteWhen the technical communicator designs a document, he/she needs to consider the audience, the overall layout, and the ease of readability/understanding.
The technical communicator must make sure that the typeface is appropriate for the document. For instance, the technical communicator would not use comic sans for and end of the year report, but they might use comics sans on a flyer about their company.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest part of Technical Communication is understanding the audience that will be viewing the final product whether it's a website, a memo, or a technical report. I would say that our assignments thus far have reflected this. For the resume, we needed to consider what companies would be looking at our resumes.
ReplyDeleteI would say that this idea is best reflected in Document in Field paper. The entire point of the exercise was to take a technical document and put it in a format that anyone could read. I had a bit of trouble with this as I had forgotten what non-technical (and non-techies) know about science and engineering.
A technical document should address particular reader or audience. If you have a specific audience or reader then you need to know the person responsibilities and interests in order to intrigue that person.
ReplyDeleteA technical document should help the reader or audience solve a problem or carry out a task.
A technical document should be designed to be attractive and professional, easy to navigate, and help readers understand the document.
I believe that a technical document should be appealing to the eye at first glance. It should be broken up into helpful sections with a summary detailing the document (if it is lengthy). One should be familiar with the audience for which the document is untended.
ReplyDeleteDocument design is based on what kind of document you are creating. For example, a resume will have a different document design than a lab report or a memorandum. All technical documents do, however, have similarities. Page space is something to caution. If there is too much wasted blank space, it is noticeable. A technical communicator needs to keep in mind what kind of document they are producing. A memorandum has a set basic format with little leeway for creativity. The resume allows for different formatting, but the same basic listing and style is applied to most. Corporate ethics policies are organized similar to an outline. These formats exist to make the documents easier to read for the reader. Technical writers need to be wary of the readers and make the documents as understandable as possible, otherwise it's useless.
ReplyDeleteAlthough design features vary from document to document, they are all bound by a fundamental rule: typesetting.
ReplyDeleteTypesetting, in the technical and digital sense, refers to the composition, arrangement, layout, and appearance of textual elements.
From these other replies, everyone has pretty much said in their own way that typesetting is the most important feature to consider in document design: "margins and relative positions," "overall layout, and the ease of readability/understanding," "attractive, professional, and easy to navigate," and so on -- all matters concerned with typesetting.
Good typesetting will yield synergy with the textual content and the visual elements present in the document. Its effects are subconscious,subtle, and taken for granted, but are more important than one would think.
You can get away with a purely textual document with no "eye candy," especially with good typesetting, but not vice versa. Only in the most limited cases can you get away with a purely visual document.
My experience in web design has shown me the importance of typesetting, and while it may not be as important in this field, it is a *must* in all other document types and fields.
Typesetting is king, and is what separates outstanding documents from mediocre ones.
Some of the principle features of good technical communication design are the use of white space, font of text, images and the appropriate reference, section organization. The design must be simple to follow and not at all confusing. extravagant style is ok but must be kept to a minimum. Also, the document must be aware of its audience!!
ReplyDeleteThe choices an author makes in design a piece of technical communication must be choices that reflect the appropriate type of document that is being made. I.E. resume and instructions documents have specific styles. The author must follow these styles.
A good technical report breaks down information into chunks that its audience can easily digest. Visual cues, such as spacing and typesetting, help show the flow or hierarchy of this information and, in my opinion, contribute the most to a reader's comprehension of the document.
ReplyDeleteA good technical report should have all of its key information outlined, prioritized and should flow well. Each section should be made clearly separate, but should still piece together well with other sections. With each section individually set up, a good structure should hold all the pieces together well.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the author must analyze audience. The author must design the document with the audience in mind. A clear and possibly eye catching (but not too loud)title is important. There must be appropriate white space to prevent a cluttered look. Images could improve the aesthetics of a document, and if presented in color, the color choice is important. Colors that match well together are eye pleasing. The document should also have consistent formatting and font throughout. A well organized document is easy to read and understand.
ReplyDelete