Document Design

Reep (2006) states that, document design refers to the physical appearance of a document and also states that a good document design must include five basic design principles: balance, proportion, sequence and consistency. This is further supported Putnis and Petelin(1996) who suggests various strategies such as involvement of a recognisable flow of information, use of typefaces and creating a balance of spaces and alignments.


Marquez,(2010)argues that a good power point presentation is by engaging the audience and their understanding to the presented information using proper layouts and necessary information, so that the presentation will be preferred and given applause or approval. In order to do that, the word limit for a write up has to be appropriate and writing should be concise and not pompuous. A simple but relevant image can be used to reduce the dullness.

Schriver (1997) said was right as 'pictures can arouse the reader's interest and curiosity and often well remembered' . With the text and image together, reader would get to understand more on what the writer is trying to convey. The degree of understanding can not be achieved if a write up is solely based on writing.

Rothman (2005) also specifies that good writing is a necessity as it involves relaying specific information directly and literally. Clear and concise writing would no doubt boost the udnerstanding between the writer and the audience. The importance of using the right words to form a sentence is essential to say the least.

Reference

1. Marquez, Z 2010, How to Make A Good PowerPoint Presentation, Writing and Speaking, viewed 25 August 2011,

2. Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Writing to Communicate, in Professional Communication: Principles and Applications, pg223-pg263

3. Reep, D 2006, Document Design, in Technical Writing, 6th edn, pg133-pg172

4. Rothman, S 2005, What Makes Good Scientific and Technical Writing, Associated Content, viewed 25 August,

5. Russell, W, 10 Tips for Creating Successful Business Presentations, About.com Guide, viewed 25 August 2011 ,

6. Schriver, K 1997, The Interplay of Words and Pictures, in Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers, pg361-pg441