design of report

Specifications for Assignment 5: Design of Report

DUE DATE: Week 9/Monday, April 2nd

Cover Letter (15 Points), Style Sheet (20 Points), Sample Pages (40)

75 Points TOTAL

OVERVIEW

In this fifth assignment, you will create a design for your report. The lectures for Week 9 are critical to understanding design elements and what is required for this deliverable. Please review the lectures and read Chapters 12 and 13 before starting on your design.

You will submit three documents: (1) a cover letter, (2) a style sheet for the report format, and (3) sample pages that show design elements for the report.

You may not use a Microsoft (or any other vendor) template for your design. You must create your own design for this assignment.

PART 1: COVER LETTER, STYLE SHEET, AND SAMPLE PAGES

1.1 Write the cover letter

The cover letter should include the following:

(1) Introduction: Brief overview of design choices in general, relating the choices to your target audience

(2) Body: Explanation of and reasons for specific design of the cover and title page, font choices, colors, etc. and how it connects to the content of the report

(3) Conclusion: Emphasize goal of design and expectations of the recipient

Remember that a cover letter always needs an introduction, the body of the content, and a conclusion. Leave the recipient with a clear understanding of why you are presenting this information and what you expect from the recipient.

Use the same format for the cover letter as you used for the previous assignments. Incorporate all feedback you received on prior cover letters.

1.2 Develop the style sheet

A style sheet is a type of specification for your report. It is a listing of elements (not written in sentence form and not requiring any discussion). The listing must identify each of the following design elements. If you are not using one of the seven design elements specified below, then list that element and say why you will not be using it.

(1) Font(s) you will use, font sizes, and how each font will be used (for example, whether for headings or captions)

(2) Heading styles (what they will look like and for which level each will be used; show a minimum of three levels)

(3) Colors that you will use

(4) Margins

(5) Headers and/or footers

(6) Page numbering

(7) Any visual guides for the reader

A visual guide is a visual that you use to help orient the reader in different parts of the report. One example of a visual guide is the use of a specific graphic to visually identify a section. For example, if you were discussing a telecommunications network and you had a separate section for each component of the network, you might have a single graphic that represented the entire system and, for each section, you would highlight the relevant component.

Visual guides may also be used to signal a definition. Visual guides are especially useful in a presentation. Visual guides may not be relevant for every report.

1.3 Develop the sample pages

The sample pages document should show a separate sample design page for each one of the elements of the final report. You do not need to provide any discussion of the sample pages. Simply show each page. (The table of contents is likely to be more than a single page.)

(1) Cover

(2) Title page

(3) Tentative table of contents for the report, showing actual headings and sub-headings for the report in its most up-to-date form

(4) Layout of the first page of a major section of the report (a major section is the equivalent of a Roman numeral section or the first page of what would be a chapter in a book)

(5) Layout of a typical text page (a page that is not the first page of a section)

(6) Sample table on a typical text page

(7) Sample graph on a typical text page

For the sample table and graph, use data that is relevant to your report subject and is likely to be included in your final report. Cite the source for that data. You may not copy a finished table or graph from another source; you must create your own.

For the table or graph, you may start with a template from your word-processing software, but just changing a few things like a line color or a word is not enough. Create your own design, even if you use a default style as a starting point.

1.4 Submit written deliverables

Submit the cover letter and draft as a PDF file in the Assignment 5 folder. Print TWO hard copies and bring to class on the due date. Save the file as LastNameA5 prior to submitting.

PART 2: PEER REVIEW

Review all cover letter and design postings and provide comments on the quality and appeal of each design, using the details from the grading rubric as your guide. Include any questions, concerns, or suggestions you have about the design.

Usefulness of your comments and questions means more than word count. Reviews and critiques should be constructive.

GRADING

The folder for Assignment 5 contains the grading rubric. The dimensions are the same as previous rubrics, but the details in the dimensions are different to reflect the different focus of this assignment. Please review those details carefully so that you have a good understanding of what it takes to succeed on this assignment.