According to Hilligoss and Howard (2002), document design means all the ways that writers and readers interact through the look of pages and screens. It may also refer to matters of language. Readers will assume that the bold headings are more important than the italic headings because the bold takes up more space than the slender italic type (Hilligoss & Howard, 2002). To intensify that difference, the bold headings should be made even larger or heavier. However, unlike print documents, headings on screen documents do not have the same effect. While it is easier for our eyes to spot the difference and focus onto the difference of the headings in print documents, our eyes are not as sensitive to screen documents.
One of the important things we should take into deliberation is the grouping. Most common problems with documents are poor proximity (Hilligoss & Howard, 2002). Without proper grouping, texts could be confusing and the message would not be conveyed correctly. Proximity and similarity will make the intended message easier to be transferred.
Hilligoss and Howard (2002) also mentioned that color is powerful and complex. It attracts attention like no other visual feature. However, as much as it can attract viewers, it can also distract and overwhelm the readers. It is important to choose the colors wisely so that it is strong enough to gain attention but not distract the readers from your main aim. On screens where color is usually available, background choices become a very important aspect. Inappropriate backgrounds or overly complicated pictures at the back of the text can be overwhelming and distractive. On print documents however, black text on a white background is very common and in fact, is the most legible. To get a better picture, you can take my blog as the example.
Adelaine
(299 words)
Reference List
Hilligoss, S & Howard, T 2002, Visual Communication: A Writer’s Guide, viewed 24 August 2011, http://www.ablongman.com/mycomplab_content/pdf/long_hilligoss.pdf
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