ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING

MODULE 3

1st Semester | A.Y. 2022-2023

s 13
t

MODULE 3
Document Designs
& Elements
March
October 1021- 22,
– 262022
, 2022

ENGLISH102
Advanced Writing & Speaking

JONNABELLE N. DE LEON, LPT

Instructor

Institute of Arts and Sciences

B.S.Ed.
BPED Social- Studies
- 2A, BPED 2B, 1-A
BEED - 2A, BEED - 2B

1
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3

Module 3: Document Designs and Elements

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

Recognize other printed documents/written outputs used in chosen profession

Describe the principles and elements of document design

Apply knowledge on English writing through given writing task

II. TOPIC OUTLINE:

A. Document Design

B. Principles of Document Design

C. Elements of Document Design

III. LESSON PROPER:

Getting people to understand your written message is more than just putting words on a
computer screen or on paper. In today's visual-oriented society, a message also has to look
good. Advertising executives, for example, spend a tremendous amount of time and money
to design ads that have a memorable message and are eye-catching. When you read a
training manual, you will see photographs or drawings to take you through the step-by-step
instructions. In education, almost every textbook you read, will have some type of visual,
such as photographs and informational graphics. Documents also should incorporate basic
document design principles. This publication, created for anyone with an interest in designing
effective documents, will provide you with these basic design principles to enhance your
written message.

DOCUMENT DESIGN

Document design is the process of choosing how to present all of the basic document
elements so your document's message is clear and effective. When a document is well
designed, readers understand the information more quickly and easily. Readers feel more
positive about the topic and more accepting of its message. Documents can be designed
specifically as print publications (a flier, newsletter, newspaper, brochure, or any handout) or

2
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
as digital media. A PDF (Portable Document Format) can be both print or digital, as a PDF
offers both print and on-screen viewing capabilities. Regardless of the form, the document
development process remains the same.

Document Development Toward Design and Delivery

First, consider the purpose of the document. The document's purpose will help determine
how much content will need to be included in the document and how it should be designed.
Some questions you may need to ask yourself in determining the purpose include the
following:

 What do you want the document to do? Is the document going to persuade, inform,
educate, or motivate your reader?

 What do you want readers to be able to do after reading the document? For example,
from reading your document, do you want readers to buy something, attend an event,
learn a new skill?

Determine who your audience is. You should try to match your document to your
audience's characteristics. For example, you will need to write at an elementary-school level if
the document is intended for young children. For this young audience, the document will
need to use large text, few words, cartoons, photographs, and activities to keep a young
audience's attention. For an adult audience, your document may have smaller text, more
detailed photographs, and headlines to break up the text. For older adults, the typeface, or
font, may need to be larger and distinct in nature to accommodate varying degrees of visual
impairment. A number of fonts have been designed specifically for enhanced readability.

3
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
Develop a content outline. The outline should include the main topics for the document. A
good outline can provide you with a master plan for your document. If the document is a
brochure, the outline may be very short. If the document is a training manual, the outline
may be lengthy.

Write the content. For fliers or handouts, the content may be extremely brief. For other
documents, such as newsletters and brochures, you may have more to say.

Design the document. After the content is written, make a hand-drawn sketch of what the
document will look like, including all text, images, headlines, and borders. This sketch is
called a thumbnail or a dummy. Always try to sketch out your ideas first before creating your
final design. It is also important to plan for the number of pages your document will include.
If you plan to print your document, you will need to ensure the number of pages are divisible
by four. When you have gotten a thumbnail sketch layout that you like, you can proceed to
computer software programs to lay out your document. Basic fliers can be designed in easy-
to-use software programs, such as Microsoft® Publisher®, MS Word®, Corel's
WordPerfect®, Apple's Pages®, or MS PowerPoint®. MS Word and other writing programs,
including OpenOffice Writer, also have templates that you can use to design basic
newsletters and brochures. However, for more elaborate documents, you will need to use
layout and design software, such as Adobe® InDesign®, QuarkXPress®, or Canva®.

Print the document. This is the final step. A document can be printed with a desktop printer
or taken to a professional printer. It also can be saved as a PDF and placed on the web or
emailed. Many newsletters for professional organizations are saved as PDFs and sent to the
organization's members via email.

Getting Started in the Design Process

If you have never designed a document before, you may not know how to put your thoughts
into a good design. Here are some tips to get you started:

Learn from good examples. Look around you. What advertisements catch your attention in
the magazines you read? Which poster stands out on a bulletin board? What do you like
about a newsletter or a magazine you have recently read? Study such examples for their
effective designs. You can learn by observing techniques and solutions employed by others.

Keep it simple. Usually, simplicity of design allows your content to shine. Good design
should not call attention to itself; it should enhance the message. Your overall design and use
of visuals should not be complicated. If your design and your visuals are clean and simple
and communicate a clearly stated message, then you are helping your audience. Therefore,
just because you can use a lot of graphics or photographs, it does not mean you should. For
example, if one particular visual – such as a single photograph or a wellcrafted line-art image
– works in relating the message, you do not need more.

Select appropriate visuals. Take time to select a good visual (graphic, photograph) that
supports your text. For example, if a good photograph exists to clarify your message, then
use it. If the photograph is out of focus or does not add clarity to the message, then do not
use the photograph. Also, be sure you can legally use the graphic or photograph. If you did
not take the photograph, always ask permission or purchase the photograph through a stock
photo site on the internet before using the image in your document and cite your source
accordingly.

4
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
Lay out the document. Now comes the fun part. With the format established and good
visuals selected, you can fit the pieces together. But there is a method to laying out a good-
looking document. To be able to effectively lay out the document, you must put into practice
the principles of document design, discussed in the second publication in this series,
Principles of Document Design.

Paper and Ink

Before delving into the content of the other document design publications in this series, you
need to know about paper and ink selection. Many color laser printers do an adequate job of
producing a nice-quality color document. For small numbers of documents, a laser printer
will do well, but for large quantities or for specialized documents, you probably will need to
have a commercial printer produce your document. If you believe that your document will
need to be printed commercially, it is strongly advisable to contact the professional printer
prior to designing your document. A printer will provide you with suggestions on how to
make the document design process work better for you and for the printer. Some of these
suggestions may pertain to paper and ink selection.

Papers are sold and labeled by weight and type. The heavier the paper stock, the firmer it is.
A higher-pound paper would be better for a document's cover. Papers coated with different
finishes also cost more.

The basic decision on ink is whether to use one or more colors. In printing terms, single color
means that only one ink color is used throughout the document. It can be black or another
color. You can use two-color and three-color printing, but the more inks you add, the higher
the price.

 Process color printing, also known as four-color printing, uses four inks: cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black. This is also called CMYK colors (C = cyan, M =
magenta, Y = yellow, and K = black). The CMYK colors are the inks used for printed
documents. (Colors shown on computer monitors and television monitors are called
RGB colors, for red, green, and blue.) Process color may cost more than a single
color, but you get full color for your document, which may be necessary to
communicate your message better to your intended audience.

 Spot color refers to using a specific ink for a particular section of the document. You
place ink on that "spot." Spot color can be a less-expensive solution if you just want a
particular color on one part of your document.

PRINCIPLES OF DOCUMENT DESIGN

5
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3

Good design does not call attention to itself, but good designers use the principles of
document design to make sure their layouts look pleasing and attractive. This publication,
created for anyone with an interest in designing effective documents, covers the principles of
document design: balance, proportion, order, contrast, similarity, and unity.

BALANCE
Balance involves imagining a line dividing a page either vertically or horizontally and then
placing visual elements so they are either symmetrically (formally) balanced or asymmetrically
(informally) balanced.

Symmetrical balance, or formal balance, is mirror-image balance. It occurs when all the
visual elements on one side of the page are mirrored on the other side. The visual elements
may not be identical objects, but they are similar in terms of numbers of objects, colors, and
other elements. The primary value to readers when you use formal balance is that the reader
does not have to work hard to see relationships between message elements. A document that
has formal balance presents stability, security, authority, and thoughtfulness. However, it also
may be seen as unexciting and unimaginative.

Asymmetrical balance, or informal balance, occurs when several smaller items on one side
of the imaginary line are balanced by a large item on the other side, or smaller items are
placed further away from the center of the screen than larger items. Most document design is
done using asymmetrical balance. Asymmetrical balance is generally seen as being more
interesting and exciting. A message using asymmetrical balance is seen as dynamic, fresh,
inviting, creative, and friendly.

When you balance elements asymmetrically, you use their visual weight to create an
arrangement that is pleasing to the eye. Visual weight is the amount of “weight” or
prominence an image has. The eye is more attracted to a space with heavy visual weight
because of its dominance. For example, a small, dark visual may have as much, or more,
visual weight than a larger one with lighter tones. Black is heavier than white. Intense colors
are heavier than those that have been toned down. Visual elements such as illustrations,
photos, and headlines – by their size – carry more weight than text. One darker item may
need to be balanced by several lighter items. You achieve a balanced look by spacing these

6
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
elements with careful consideration of their relationship with everything else on the
document.

PROPORTION
Proportion is the spatial relationship between each design element. The eye visually compares
the relationship of each element's area, size, weight, and location to all of the others on the
page. You can create pleasing visual proportion by dividing your page into thirds. The middle
section then would likely be a good place to put your most important visual element, and it
should be in proportion to the rest of the page. The natural center is slightly above the exact
center of the page. The natural center is the most common focal point when viewing a
document. That is why for most newspapers, the major story's headline / photograph is
immediately above the fold in the newspaper. Another term to know is the message zone,
which is the entire page, containing all elements of your message: text, visuals, and graphics.

ORDER
Order is how you show sequence and importance. Order refers to most readers’ assumption
that what they see first on a page is more important than what they see later on. Studies have
shown that on a printed page the most important information is best positioned at the top,
followed by information of decreasing importance as the reader moves down the page. You
can see that concept on any newspaper page. The important information is at the top to catch
readers’ attention. For brochures, major headings are at the top, followed by less-important
but related information.

CONTRAST
Contrast refers to the dominant focus or element on a page. Use contrast to show difference
and to create emphasis. For example, darker and larger visual elements stand out on your
page. They are considered more interesting and are the focus of your document design.

All good designs should have a focal point that stands out on the page. Readers assume that
a difference in appearance means a difference in function or meaning. Contrast is a valuable
tool to draw attention to such things on a page as warning labels, cautions, and notes.
Contrast can also apply to the following visual elements:

Shape – This could mean using a typeface for text that you want to stand out from text using
another typeface, or using a recognizable symbol, such as a stop sign or a warning triangle.

Size – To draw emphasis to an area on your document, you may want to use text that is a
larger size than the surrounding text.

Color – Any use of color, in an otherwise black-and-white document, will draw readers’
attention.

Value – This refers to creating a visual element that has a higher value than the surrounding
objects. This can be done by bolding text or adding a gray box behind the text.

SIMILARITY
Where contrast focuses on dominance or emphasis, similarity shows that design elements are
alike. When people see things that look similar, they assume they have similar functions.
Visual elements could show similarity in the following ways:

7
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
Shape – All of the text for a specific function would be placed in the same typeface. This is
common in newsletters, where headlines are in one typeface, and the text for a story is in
another typeface.

Size – All of the text for a specific function would be in the same size. Again, in most
newsletters, headline text is a larger size than the text used in the stories. The story text, for
all stories, is always the same.

Color – All of the colors – red, for example – would be in the same hue.

Value – Bullet-pointed text would have the same relative value.

UNITY
Unity deals with how all of a message’s elements tie together visually. A message with good
unity is one where all of its visual elements complement each other. The pages in the
document should hold a reader’s attention, but they should be simple to follow. Each page
also should have a similar structure so that they are consistent – or unified – throughout.
Letting each page have its own shape and form is not the right way to design a document.

ELEMENTS OF DOCUMENT DESIGN

In addition to the overall principles of document design are the specific elements of
document design. Where the principles of document design provide considerations for overall
document layout, the elements of document design focus on these specific visual elements
that make up the visual content of the document: text and typefaces, visuals, graphics, color,
and white space. This publication series is created for anyone with an interest in designing
effective documents.

Text and Typefaces

Text is any size, shape, and placement of the printed word in your document. Text can be
placed on your document in the following ways:

 Full justified, also called “justified”: All of the text is “flush” on both the right and
left sides. To accomplish this, the words in a sentence and letters inside of words can
become stretched to fill the space on a particular line.
 Left justified, also called “ragged right”: The text is “flush” on the left-hand side of
each page or column of text, but is “ragged” or uneven on the right-hand side.
 Center justified, or “centered”: The text is centered on the page. This is commonly
used for headings for brochures, fliers/handouts, and in some newsletters.

8
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
 Right justified: The text is “flush” on the right and uneven on the left. Rightjustified
text is rarely used in most documents, except to line up all of a column to the right-
hand side.

Text also can be boldfaced (or bolded), italicized, or underlined. However, these text styles
should be used only to draw readers’ attention; they should not be overused. For example, it
is recommended that italics be used for short phrases, such as for direct quotations in a
brochure or handout, rather than for long passages.

In more advanced layout and design programs, you can adjust the space between letters,
words, and lines. You can get some interesting effects by adjusting text spacing. Kerning is
the space between letters. Tracking is the amount of space between words. Leading
(pronounced with a short “e” as in “bedding”) is the amount of space between lines of text.
Look at some documents to see how close or far apart the spacing is between letters, words,
and lines. Adjust the kerning, tracking, or leading to imitate the spacing that you like for your
document.

Typeface also called type or font is the actual look of the letters. Type usually is classified
into two categories: serif type (also called serif font) and sans serif type (or sans serif font).

Serif fonts are those where the letters have “feet” or “tails,” such as the Times New Roman
typeface. Serif fonts are a good choice for printed materials because the “feet” at the bottom
of letters make it easier for readers to follow each line of text. Serif fonts trace their history
to ancient Rome. Letters were chiseled into buildings’ walls. However, the straight-edged
letters created cracks in the walls. To avoid that, Roman architects began putting horizontal
edges on the top and bottom of the vertical lines forming the letters.
Rounding off the letter by adding these “feet” and “tails” changed the direction of the stress
on the walls, eliminated cracks in the walls, and introduced the concept of serif typeface to
Western civilization.

9
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3

Sans serif means “without serif.” Simply, sans serif fonts do not have “feet” or “tails” on
their letters. Arial and Helvetica are examples of sans serif fonts. Sans serif fonts are viewed
as more contemporary than serif fonts because they have a cleaner look; many sans serif
fonts have been in use only since the 1970s. Sans serif fonts usually are not good choices for
a lot of text on a page, because they are more difficult to follow across the page without the
“feet” for each letter. Sans serif fonts are recommended for text that is projected onto a
screen or read on a television screen or computer screen. Sans serif fonts also are a good
choice for short headlines and brief photo captions.

When designing any document, the most important aspect to keep in mind about text and
typeface is for the lettering to be large enough and legible enough to be read easily. You also
should use no more than two typefaces in a document. Use uppercase/lowercase lettering in
your document. Only use all uppercase lettering when you want to call attention to a specific
word or short phrase. Readers see all uppercase lettering as if the document designer is
shouting at them. Research also indicates that uppercase/lowercase is easier to read. As a
result, the federal government is requiring cities across the country to change street-name
signs from all capital letters to uppercase/lowercase letters (Copeland, 2010).

Headings, titles, and captions are specific aspects of text applications. Headings and titles
orient readers to the start of a topic. They should be briefly worded. Most headings and titles
are bolded and larger than the document’s other text. Captions, also known as cutlines, are
brief descriptions placed under photographs or graphs. Usually, a caption provides
information on who is in the photograph, what is going on, where and when the action
happened, and why the action is significant. Studies have shown that most people read
captions immediately after they read the headlines.

Visuals
Visuals are anything in pictorial form, such as photographs, drawings/illustrations, clip art,
and graphs and charts. The functions of visuals are to grab the reader’s attention and to
support or provide explanation to the document’s overall message.

Photographs show the actual physical images of objects. Photographs have the advantage of
realism. One disadvantage is the extraneous details in the photograph that may detract from
the message.

10
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3

Drawings/illustrations can depict imaginary objects or real objects difficult to photograph.

Drawings can show only the parts the reader needs to see. Drawings give you the advantage
of control by eliminating extraneous detail and emphasizing what you want to emphasize.
Illustrations should be clean and simple.

Clip art is an alternative to drawings. Clip art can be found online.

Graphs and charts provide information, usually statistics or numbers, in an easily

understandable visual form. Graphs and charts should be clear, uncluttered, suited for the
reader, legible, and placed near where they are mentioned in the document. Graphics and
charts must have brief but understandable titles. Some graphs and charts will have a key that
explains symbols used in the visual. Graphs and charts come in different forms, based on the
type of information that is being communicated. Some of the most common ones are
infographics, bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs. If your graphs and charts are in black
and white, be sure that readers can differentiate between the shadings of the different
sections of a pie chart or bar graph, for example.

Infographics is the term to describe the use of visual elements to communicate complex
information quickly and clearly. Infographics use recognizable images to represent specific
quantities. For example, instead of using a line graph, a document designer may use an
illustration to represent numerical data. The illustration adds visual appeal to the information.
The Snapshots features used in USA Today are good examples of infographics.

Bar graphs show comparison at different times, locations, and conditions. Bar graphs are
easy to understand and can be either vertical or horizontal.

Line graphs display trends over time in amounts, sizes, rates, and other measurements on
lines. Line graphs give an at-a-glance impression of trends and forecasts of data. You should
have no more than four or five lines presented in a line graph. It is best to distinguish
different lines by using different colors or thicknesses. Show current data with solid lines, and
illustrate future data with broken lines.

Pie charts are best at showing what parts make up the whole and at comparing relative sizes
of the parts. A good example of a pie chart would be to show the ethnic background of all of
the students in a school. Pie charts are most effective with six or fewer sections or “slices.”

Color
Color can be used to draw attention because visual elements with color have greater visual
weight. Certain colors also are interpreted in specific ways by most people. Warm colors are
reds, yellows, and blends of those two colors (orange). These colors are related to heat, fire,
and the sun. Cool colors – blues and greens – relate to the sky, sea, and wilderness.
Depending on what message you are trying to get across to your audience, you may want to
use one of the following colors:

Red is the most dramatic color. It excites and stimulates people. Red is often associated with
aggressive behavior, passion, success, and impulse. Use red sparingly, because it is such a
“hot” color.

11
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3
Bright yellow often is associated with health and well-being. Yellow is also associated with
caution. For example, all traffic signs that pertain to caution – such as yield signs – are in
yellow.

Blues are associated with tradition, orderliness, and stability. Light blues are associated with
cleanliness. Dark blue colors seem to have a calming effect. Purple is seen as daring, royal,
and elegant.

Greens provide a sense of nature and regeneration. Green is used by many environmental
organizations.

White is a symbol of purity and innocence in Western countries.

Black usually signifies finality, ending, and death in Western countries.

Graphics
Graphics are lines, borders, and boxes in your document. These are used to highlight or draw
attention to an area of the document. To emphasize a particular part of your document, you
may place a border around a photograph. Graphics also are used to separate visual elements.
For example, a box around a newsletter story could separate it from other stories on the
page. Small lines under a photograph’s caption could be used to separate the caption from
the rest of the story. Graphics should be used sparingly. Do not place a box or border around
each visual element on your page. If you use shaded boxes, make sure that the shading is not
too dark. A shading of 10 percent is usually all you need. A shading of 20 percent or greater
may be too dark to read for the text.

White Space
White space (also called “blank space” or “negative space”) is the area not taken up with text
or images. White space is used to create a sense of openness. Too many elements on a page
can look confusing and detract from the overall visual appeal of your page. White space
separates paragraphs and provides margins at the edges of your pages. Areas occupied by
text or images are called positive space.

IV. REFERENCES:

Telg, R. & McLeod-Morin, A. (2021). Document Design. ASKIFAS. DOI:

doi.org/10.32473/edis-wc127-2021

Prepared by:

JONNABELLE N. DE LEON, LPT

Instructor

12
ENGLISH102: ADVANCED WRITING AND SPEAKING
MODULE 3

OFFICIAL MCC MODULE DISCLAIMER

It is not the intention of the author/s nor the publisher of this module to have

monetary gain in using the textual information, imageries, and other references used in its

production. This module is only for the exclusive use of a bona fide student of Mabalacat

City College.

In addition, this module or no part of it thereof may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, and/or otherwise, without the prior permission of Mabalacat City College.

13