document design
Document Design Assignments
The design of a page or a screen can help a writer achieve many goals: to entertain, to amaze, to intrigue, to sell. In technical communication, the goal, generally, is to help the reader accomplish a task. When analyzing or designing a document, it is important to remember that first impressions speak volumes. In less than a second, the document you create will make an impression on the user/reader of the document; it will even determine whether the reader continues with the document or moves onto another task, rendering the given communication ineffective. For that reason, it is important to consider the physical appearance of documents including typography, color, font, white/blank space, background color, etc.
Required Reading:
Markel, Chapter 11, “Designing Print and Online Documents”, 247-290; Chapter 7, “Organizing Your Information”, 147-170; Chapter 9, “Writing Coherent Titles, Headings, and Lists”, 193-202. Also, use your book and other well-designed examples from the internet and from print materials (brochures, newsletters, magazines, etc.) when looking for concrete examples of the situations described below.
Document Design Part 1: Design Analysis
Choose from the following figures in your book – the Micron data flyer on
page 289; the Total Revenues and Outlays government document on page
277; the Installation Instructions document on page 578; Figure 16.2,
“Excerpt from an RFQ” on page 426.
1. Review the “Top 50 Most Important Rules of Document Design”.
Another version of it appears in the Discussion Board so you can
increase the size of the image for easier reading.
2. Analyze how the COLOR CRAYON TIP rules are used in your chosen
document for analysis, taking notes (mental or written) as you go.
3. After comparing the COLOR CRAYON TIP rules to “Designing Print
Pages”, beginning on page 258, list 5 specific design patterns and/or
features that the page designer of your document used that are most
effective in helping the designer achieve his or her purpose in creating
the communication. Bold each design feature so that it serves as a text
heading in your document. Yes, the rules in the COLOR CRAYON TIP
can serve as your rules; choose 5 of those rules.
4. Next to each design feature heading (remember, there should be at
least 5), write a few sentences describing how the element is used,
specifically, why it improves the communication of the information
presented, and how it might help readers use, understand, and
remember the information given.
In your discussion, you will want to refer to the specific elements listed in
each rule and/or specific design patterns features mentioned in your
book – so as to show good understanding of how the rule was applied to
the document. Your response for each design feature should be about
75 words in length. If you have more than 75 in a section, that is fine; if
you have far fewer than 75 for an item, your grade will be reduced.
5. Go back to the top of the document, and insert a brief introduction to
your list. Remember, an introduction would not be a part of the list; it
would be apart from it. This introduction will communicate the document
you are working with, including its title and purpose, and the location
from where it was sourced/obtained. Now, add a memo heading, as this
document is to be a memo addressed to your instructor. The subject line
of the memo should read “Document Design Analysis – X”. X will be the
figure number and/or title of the specific document you are working with.
6. Edit and save this assignment.
Document Design Part 2: Human Resources Task
For Part 2 of this assignment, you will create a New Employee Orientation Announcement for your company or for the company for which you work, following the Goals for Document Design listed on page 249 of your book and reviewed in the optional video in our lesson. Yes, you can use your imagination in coming up with your dream company – as long as your company is in good taste for an academic audience. When creating your announcement, be sure to attend to the Design Features for Technical Communication and be creative with the format. Keep in mind that this is an internal document that will be posted and/or mailed/made available to employees, at large. Use your judgment, then, and design your page accordingly. Good use of color is expected, as is good use of font color/style/size; it is also expected that you use or create some kind of graphic for your communication.
In creating your New Employee Orientation Announcement, you may use the design template of a newsletter, a brochure, a flyer, or whatever other
kind of design format you feel appropriate for communicating this information. You may use the templates available to you in your word processing programs (Microsoft Word has some good ones), but you will want to customize that template for your unique purposes and audience needs. See “Using Templates”, 50. If you do not adequately customize your template, expect a D or lower. You may also forego a template and create your own organization/structure – as you see fit. Use all of the document space available to you. Very little white/blank space should be unused for this kind of communication. Think about why.
Somewhere on this document, state that it is a publication of the Human Resources Department and use your name as the director of that department. By including your name and hypothetical contact information, you will not need to include a heading of any kind.
Information to include
In creating your communication (flyer, brochure, newsletter, etc), you will want to be sure to include information that will help your new employees understand the importance of attending their New Employee Orientation. You want to your communication to be friendly but informative. Think about what information will be useful to new employees who are seeking information about their new employment environment. This is the type of information that will be covered at orientation. And, so, you need to include it in your document. Here are some ideas of what to include. You do not need to include all of these items, and you may add or create additional items, but it is important to consider what information will be important to your new employees. Consider:
W2 Applications Direct Deposit Information Where to Park Company Policies and Procedures Insurance Sign Up Work Schedule Information First Aid at the Workplace Employee
Responsibilities/Expectations Recreation Facilities Technology Rules Office Keys/Space TPS Reports
Recycling Policies Pieces of Flair/Uniforms
Smoking Policies Drug Testing Info
Remember, you are not creating the orientation, itself, just the
announcement so that employees will know where to attend and when. So,
you will also need to tell your new employees where to be and when
they need to be there. Try to limit this communication to one page or a 6-
panel brochure. You will want to be sure to make good use of white space
and color, as mentioned in the requirements above.
Submitting Your Files to Two Different Assignment
Forums
When both assignment files are ready to be submitted, ensure you are
attaching your assignment file to the correct/appropriate forum.
No files should be combined or pasted onto the forum. If you mix up the
assignments in the forums, or fail to attach, you will lose significant points.
Grading the Assignments
Each assignment will receive its own Short Writing Assignment grade. The
first assignment will be graded according to the Grade Descriptions for
Technical Writing Assignments housed in the ICR and Course
Management Materials of the course site. The second assignment will be
graded according to a rubric designed for the grading of visual documents.
That rubric is available for viewing in the assignment forum. Make sure to
review it before attempting the second assignment.
Questions
All of the information you need has been provided to you on this document,
so read it carefully. Post general questions to the assignment forum or visit
me during Office Hours. Remember, questions must be posted or
presented before Friday at noon for best results. After Friday at noon, you
are on your own and should use your best possible judgment.