White space (the empty space on a page) makes information easier to read via emphasizing the information that it separates from the rest of the text. To create white space, use headings, vary the lengths of paragraphs, and/or use lists. If you choose to create a list, ensure you introduce it and all items are structurally parallel. Use numbers when you need to rank items or to indicate a process; otherwise, use bullets to separate the items.
Headings are words, phrases or clauses that group information and divide a document into sections. Headings enable a reader to see quickly the organization of a document, to move to sections of special interest, and to compare and contrast information more easily. Headings also divide a document, making the information less formidable and more interesting. Try to make headings specific, complete and parallel.
Limit the use of words set in all capital letters because full capitals hide the shape of a word and slow reading 19%. We recognize a word by its shape. Words set in all capital letters do not have the ascenders and descenders that aid in recognition.
Try to use no more than two fonts in a document. A font is a complete set of type of one size and one face. Computers offer proportional fonts (wide letters occupy more space than narrow letters) and fonts with serifs (extensions from the main strokes of a letter). Fonts with serifs are easier to read because the serifs help the eyes move from letter to letter. You can create emphasis with boldface, italics and different sizes. Boldface is easier to read than italics, so use boldface if you only need one method to emphasize material. In a complex document, use a larger typeface for headings and a smaller typeface for subheadings and text. If you want to combine two fonts in one document, choose a font with serifs and a sans-serif typeface.
Base your decision to justify margins on the situation and the audience. Try to use full justification when you employ proportional fonts, want a more formal appearance, want to use as few pages as possible, and write to skilled readers. Try to use ragged right margins when you cannot employ a proportional font, want an informal appearance, use short lines, and write to poor readers.
Place important elements in the top left and bottom right quadrants of a document. A reader of English begins in the upper left corner of a page and moves to the right and down. The eyes of the reader move in the pattern of a Z. Therefore, the four quadrants of a page carry different visual weights. The top left quadrant, where the reader begins, is the most important quadrant, and the bottom right quadrant, where the reader ends, is the next important quadrant.
Use a grid to unify graphic elements. For years graphic designers have been using a grid system to design pages. You will want to imagine two or three columns on a page and to subdivide the columns when you are creating a complex document. Insert all graphic elements--indentations, headings, visuals, et cetera--within the columns. The symmetry will create a visually appealable page and will unify long documents.
Highlights, decorations and colors can make a document more interesting. However, if you overuse them, the document will be more difficult to read. Glossy paper will make colors more vivid, and the colors on a computer's screen are brighter than the same colors on a sheet of paper. Remember that the connotations of colors vary among cultures.
