Writing for the Workplace: Business Communication for Professionals
Word Processing Defaults and Templates
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- Design Considerations for Digital Formats
| Word Processing Defaults and Templates Word processing is no doubt a blessing for everyone who has to write. It’s hard to imagine not being able to instantly rearrange paragraphs or delete sentences. However, when using word processing, it’s a good idea to keep its limitations in mind. One point to examine is your application’s default document design. You will find the newer default versions of Microsoft Word documents use 1.10 or 1.15 line spacing instead of 1.0, as is the norm. They also include sans serif fonts. These elements are easy enough to alter, but be aware that you must manipulate the default. Word processing templates area mixed blessing. Sometimes learning how to alter the preformatted document elements takes more time than creating your own. Using easily recognizable templates can make a writer appear lazy or unoriginal. In addition, I find that many templates ignore the basics of good design. On the other hand, Word’s new newsletter and brochure templates make creating these documents easier than ever. Word also allows anyone to insert professional looking charts and other graphics into documents. In all cases, it’s a good idea to be aware of the plusses and minuses of using defaults and templates. Design Considerations for Digital Formats Writing for the screen differs measurably from writing fora printed page. If you are writing anything from an email you know will be read on a screen to a report saved as a PDF that the reader can print or read on the screen, you will need to understand the unique situation of composing for the screen. The first thing to consider is that reading on a screen slows readers down. In fact, studies show that it takes readers 25 percent longer to read something on the screen than on paper. 1 The cause is likely due to screen resolution, despite the headway new electronic devices have made in this regard. Another consideration is that people reading on screens scan and scroll. They tend to not read in a linear fashion (starting at the beginning and going to the end) and instead jump from heading to heading or BASICS OF dOCUmENT dESIGN section to section. For this reason, we must be aware of creating scannable text. Certain techniques make text more scannable. These include writing paragraphs of six lines maximum and using headings and bulleted points. The following design elements affect writing for the screen. Color: Writers have much freedom in color choice when writing words that readers will read on a screen. However, the best color for readability remains black type on white background. Bright colors like fuchsia or light colors such as yellow will be very hard for readers to decipher, even in headings. Do, however, use color selectively for your page design in reports designed to be read on the screen or documents such as resumes. Download 3.09 Mb. Share with your friends:
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