Page Design Style Guide Importance Design Principles Design

Page Design / Style Guide • Importance • Design Principles • Design Elements

Importance • First impression is purely visual • Sloppy format alienates reader Good Page Design • Helps reader understand your information • Helps reader locate information • Helps reader notice important content

Basic Design Principles • • Proximity Alignment Contrast Repetition

Proximity Use white space to place related items close to one another Not Grouped Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ 50517 (416) 232 -9999

Proximity White space gives shape to document and orients the user

space for margins space for headings space for illustrations

Alignment Arbitrary placement of text causes confusion for the reader Arbitrary Placement Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ 50517 (416) 232 -9999 Alignment Relationship Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ 50517 (416) 232 -9999

Alignment Grid lines can be used to create the page layout

Contrast Use contrast to establish hierarchy and focus No Contrast Emphasis Martina Aleverez AAA Consultants, Inc 4357 Evington Street Montclair, NJ 50517 (416) 232 -9999 CAUTION: Don’t overdo graphic contrast !

Contrast Taylor each paragraph to its purpose • Long paragraph: no more than 15 lines – Information closely related – history, background • Short paragraph: – Complex material – Step-by-Step instructions – Emphasizing vital information • Instead of indenting short paragraphs, separate them with a blank line

Contrast Use lists for easy reading Items you might list: • Advice or examples • Conclusions/recommendations • Criteria for evaluation • Errors to avoid • Material for a procedures • Equipment in a procedure • Parts of a mechanism • Steps in a sequence

Contrast Select type that is easy to read Serif Times New Roman abcdefghijklmnopqr stuvwxyz 1234567890 Sans Serif Arial abcdefghijklmnopqr stuwxyz 1234567890 Avoid all Caps TYPE IS TO READ Type is to read

48 point posters 36 point presentation slides 24 point 18 point titles 14 point 12 point text 10 point 8 point footnotes

Repetition Use repetition to unify your communication visually • Same grid pattern throughout • Same type treatment (font, size, color, etc. ) for headings, subheadings, and text

Repetition Use consistent headings and subheadings

Section headings should be descriptive and parallel Non-Parallel Non-Descriptive Introduction Background Marx Generators Line Pulse Beam Generation Transporting Beam Pellets Results Conclusions Parallel Descriptive Introduction Past Designs for Particle Beam Fusion New Design for Particle Beam Fusion Charging Marx Generators Forming Line Pulse Generating Particle Beam Transporting Particle Beam Irradiating Deuterium-Tritium Pellets Results of New Design Conclusions and Recommendations

Long lists with no sub-headings hide organization Performance of the Solar One Receiver Introduction Steady State Efficiency Introduction Receiver’s Efficiency Average Efficiency Start-Up Time Operation During Cloud Transients Panel Mechanical Supports Tube Leaks Conclusion Steady State Efficiency Average Efficiency Receiver’s Operation Cycle Start-Up Time Operation During Cloud Transients Receiver’s Mechanical Wear Panel Mechanical Supports Tube Leaks Conclusion

Design Elements • • • Text Headings / Subheadings Graphics White space / grid Headers and footers Physical features