Activity Instructions:

Your task is to create a one$-$page instructional document that not only tells the assistant how to design documents but also shows how to do so by using the very principles described in the instructional document. The document you submit should be attractively designed and follow its own advice. Feel free to adjust the original instructions however you like, which could include deleting information, adding information, rephrasing, etc. The goal of this activity is to create an easy to read and attractive page, so focus on design.

$($Here is an example of how a former group revised these instructions for the activity. Maybe it'll get your creative juices flowing!$)$

The Original Instructions to the Admin

The original instructions you will revise:

Document Design Instructions for Administrative Assistants

Document Design: How the text looks on the page is very important. It is not only cosmetic$,$ but also functional. It helps make the material visually accessible to an audience. This is important because a busy audience needs to be able to quickly and easily access the information that the sender sends. It is also important because the document sent represents the company or institution that sends it$.$ It creates a first impression of the company and even elicits an emotional response in the receiver beyond just what the message says. There are some important aspects of document design to consider. Organization is clearly important. The text should be presented in small, easily accessible chunks. To do this you should use headings $($which are typically summaries in one to three words$),$ white space, rules $($horizontal lines that separate$),$ and section dividers for long documents. A second important design aspect is order. Generally, documents are set up in order of importance or chronologically. The relationship of ideas is shown to readers by the headings and visual clues that we most typically associate with outlining. To achieve order, take into consideration the use of typefaces $($fonts$)$: serif typefaces are best used in text because they are easier to read, while sans serif typefaces are better for headings. Also consider type size, using smaller sizes as sub$-$points in descending order, density $($the use of bolding or italics$),$ spacing $($the amount of space left around headings$),$ as well as the positioning of headings for effectiveness $($whether centered, left$-$margined, indented, or outdented$).$ A third major aspect is the document's ability to allow readers to access information rapidly. You will want to use eye$-$catching techniques, but be cautious not to overwhelm the reader's eyes with too much razzle$-$dazzle. To achieve this, you might consider using vertical white space, which will break up the density of the text; bullets, maintaining parallel structure; numbering; a limited use of all capital letters; a limited use of italics; windowing, placing information in boxes; fills, the amount of shading or patterning you might want to include in windows; including color, making sure the colors are appropriate to the message's purpose; and using inverse type and headers$/$footers$.$ One last aspect to consider is variety. This might include considering other possible print production options available, such as varying paper size, paper stock weight, printing the document in landscape format instead of portrait format, using columns, varying gutter width $($white space between columns$),$ using ragged right margins, and, of course, inserting graphics to add clarity and accommodate some readers' learning style differences.