Technical Communication:

Process and Product

Eighth Edition

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Chapter 10: Document

Design

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives
Understand the importance of document design
in technical communication
Understand that effective layout makes text
accessible, highlights damages and dangers,
reveals corporate identity, and saves time and
money
Know that effective document design provides
readers visual organization, order, access, and
variety

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives (continued)

Break text into smaller chunks of information to
help create a readable document
Help your audience access information through
highlighting techniques including white space,
bullets, numbering, underlining, and text boxes
Vary the appearance of a document by using
columns, varying gutter widths, and printing in
portrait or landscape orientation
Prioritize technical information by ordering ideas

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Learning Objectives (continued)

Use headings and talking headings effectively
Add variety to technical communication through
effective layout

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Importance of Document Design

In technical communication, words are not your
only concern. What you write is important, but how
the text looks on the page is equally important.
Document design is important, because:
It helps make information understandable at a glance
It graphically represents your companys identity
It saves time and money

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Elements of Effective Document

Design
To achieve effective document design, you should
provide your readers visual
Organization
Order
Access
Variety

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Organization
Organize your documents design by breaking text
into smaller chunks of information, or chunking,
which is accomplished by using:
White space (horizontal spacing between paragraphs,
created by double or triplespacing)
Rules (horizontal lines typed across the page to separate
units of information)
Section dividers and tabs (used in longer reports to create
smaller units)
Headings and talking headings

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Order
Readers also need a sense of order, or priority of
ideas. Use headings and subheadings to prioritize
ideas and take the following into consideration:
Typeface. Use serif fonts for text, because they are easier
to read on the page. Use sans serif fonts for headings,
because they stand out boldly.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Order (continued)
Type size. A primary, firstlevel heading should be larger
than subsequent, less important headings: second level,
third level, and so forth.
Density. The weight of the type also prioritizes your text.
Type density is created by boldfacing words.
Spacing. The amount of horizontal space (white space)
used after each heading also prioritizes text.
Position. Your headings can be centered, aligned with
the left margin, indented, or outdented (hung heads).

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Access
A third way to assist your audience is by helping
them access information rapidlyat a glance.
Assist reader access with:
White space. In addition to horizontal space, created by
double or triplespacing, you also can create vertical space
by indenting.
Bullets. Bullets emphasize items within an indented list
Numbering. Enumeration creates itemized lists that can
show sequence or importance and allow for easy reference.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

10

Access (continued)
Boldface. Boldface text emphasizes a key word or
phrase.
All caps. The technique of capitalizing text is an excellent
way to highlight a WARNING, DANGER, CAUTION, or
NOTE. But use all caps sparingly.
Underlining or italics. Both techniques should be used
cautiously.
Text boxes. Place key points in a text box for emphasis:

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

11

Access (continued)
Fills. You can further highlight text boxes through fills
(color, gradients, and shadings).
Inverse type. You can help readers access information
by using inverse typeprinting white on blackversus
the usual black on white.
Color. Another way to make key words and phrases leap
off the page is to color them. You can also use color to
help a reader access the firstlevel heading, a header, or
a footer.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

12

Variety
Not all documents or pages within a document
need to look exactly the same. Add variety using
these techniques:
Choose a different page orientation. Rather than use
portrait orientation, try landscape orientation.
Use more columns. Use two to five columns of text.
Vary gutter width. Separate columns of text with vertical
white space (gutter).
Use raggedright margins. Some text is fully justified
(both right and left margins are aligned), but ragged-right is
easier to read.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

13

Chapter Highlights
1. Breaking your text into smaller chunks of
information will help you create a more readable
document.
2. When you organize items in a document through
use of typeface and type size, your audience can
more easily prioritize the information.
3. Your reader should be able to glance at the
document and easily pick out the key ideas.
Highlighting techniques will help accomplish this
goal.
Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e
Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

14

Chapter Highlights (continued)

4. Vary the appearance of your document by using
columns, varying gutter widths, and printing in
portrait or landscape orientation.
5. Your audience will access the content easily if
you use white space, bullets, numbering,
underlining, and text boxes.

Technical Communication: Process and Product, 8/e

Sharon Gerson and Steven Gerson

Copyright 2014, 2012, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

15