Having children has made me a hypochondriac. It's not always in my head though: I do have a history of also catching whatever bug ails my children.
This week though. I'm certifiable.
My two-year-old has the chicken pox and even though I'm immune (verified through a blood test just a year ago) to the illness, I can't help but feel itchy all over. Maybe it's just my subconscious hearkening back to my childhood bout with the illness, but I have the compulsive need to scratch every inch of my skin. For once, I should be able to relax and not fear impending sickness, right? Nope. Not me. With my luck, I'll think myself into a case of Shingles.
I need to find my happy, itch-free place.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Easy Tactics for Improving Your Document's Visual Appeal and Efficiency
(Please click the post's title in order to access the podcast.)
Hi, and welcome to “Easy Tactics for Improving Your Document’s Visual Appeal and Efficiency.” This podcast will introduce you to some easy tactics to help you create a better looking document that invites readers rather than discourages them, no matter the content.
Each day, numerous documents compete for our attention. So, how can you make your document get the attention it deserves? You need to improve its visual appeal. But how, you ask? It’s easy. With just a few simple tweaks, you’ll see an improvement in your document design.
Part 1 –The Constants
Before I delve into the tactics, there are three important aspects of document design that I want to talk about first – your document’s structure, your audience, and subject. The structure, audience, and your subject are constants—you can’t change them. So, it’s important that you are familiar with them and think about them while you design your document.
Your Structure
When designing a document for any purpose, it’s important to look at its structure. Its structure is the skeleton of your work that gives readers visual clues that indicate different elements. Do you have a title, headings, subheadings, image headings, etc.? How are they laid out? Do you have images, charts, or graphs within your document? How is data shown? Do you use other graphics throughout? Is your document largely text, data, graphics, or a mixture of everything?
These skeletal elements are instruments for great document design so it’s important to know the structure well since it can help you make important design decisions.
Your Audience
Who is the document for? The design of your document is impacted greatly by the audience it is written for: a company executive or client expects a different document than your colleagues, and it is important to remember such distinctions when selecting aspects of your design and taking design liberties in appealing to your audience.
Your Subject
Does your subject limit your document design? A technical report is wholly different from a lengthy interoffice memo. Specific subjects automatically connote a certain design or seriousness. This is another factor important to remember before you tackle your document design.
Since you can’t change the structure, audience, and subject of your document, it’s important to consider those factors when changing the aesthetics of your document. Your document design should complement your document, not detract from it.
Part 2 – The Variables
Now that we’ve talked about your document’s constants, let’s look at the variables. The variables are the elements we can change: margins, alignment, text, and graphics. My tactics for improving your document’s visual appeal revolve around those variables and the mountain of design possibilities available with each one.
The first variable we’re looking at are the margins of your document. The default margin settings for Microsoft Word and similar software programs create lackluster, one-inch margins all around the page. Those settings don’t entertain the eye but bore it! Spice up your document with less symmetrical margins. In Microsoft Word, you can change these settings under Page Layout: consider choosing some off-center margins like a 1.5 inch left margin, a 1-inch right margin, a 2-inch top margin, and a 1-inch bottom margin. Eyes will gravitate to the any settings that break from the norm. So, have fun!
Also, as an added benefit to readers, wider margin settings also allow for ample note-writing space! Your readers just might thank you!
Our next variable, alignment, is another powerful tool in document design. A document’s alignment draws the reader’s eye from page-to-page, and if used properly, can connote strength and professionalism. For your document, try using left-align for all text and images. And, whatever you do, avoid any center-alignment if you want to be taken seriously.
Paragraphs are variable elements of a page that are often ignored in document design, but they can do so much for your document if you just make a few adjustments! For body text, consider changing your tab settings to begin your paragraphs one-and-a-half inches in from the left margins. You retain the strong line you created with left-alignment while also creating variety on the page and distinguishing body text from the title, headings, and subheadings.
Another useful tactic is to indent only the first paragraph in each section of your document. It is a simple visual clue that alerts readers to the beginning and end of a new section and complements any section headings already in use.
Text is a simple variable to manipulate and one of the easiest ways to captivate the eyes. A useful tactic is to employ different typefaces and sizes to distinguish the title, headings, and subheadings from the body text. The rule of thumb is to make noticeable changes in the type and size used. So, if your body text is in 12-point Arial, use something bigger and bolder, like 18-point Perpetua Titling Bold, for the title, 16-point for the headers, and 14-point Italic for the subtitles. If you make changes but still can’t discern different typefaces or sizes from one another, you need to make more dramatic choices.
You have lots of options available with text, but you should limit your document to only 2-3 different text choices for simplicity’s sake. It turns out you really can have too much of a good thing!
The last variable involves the layout of your graphics. If your document contains images, tables, or other such graphics, make sure to place them consistently on your page. A good tactic to remember is to align any graphics with your body text and keep them in proximity to any related data or text. It’s difficult for readers to understand important graphics if their eyes have to jump around the page to find correlated information. Keeping related text and graphics together will pull your document together and provide readers with a better visual experience.
Whatever design decisions you choose to make, be consistent! The purpose of document design is to invite readers with captivating design choices, but some amount of predictability is important if you want your document’s content to be center stage. The page layout and other variable choices you made on one page should be identical on following pages. Inconsistent design is irritating to the eye and detracts from the content. So, be consistent!
When you are considering all these elements in your document design, it is an iterative process. As you tweak your margins, fonts, graphic positions, you’ll have to return to your previous choices to double-check how the elements work together. There is no single answer for document design, and there are several ways to combine these elements into effective document design. Have fun with the process; consider creating your own “style” that will distinguish your documents from your peers.
In this podcast, we looked at several tactics that can improve your document’s visual appearance. We discussed how constants—the structure, audience and subject of your paper— can impact your document design, and how a document’s variables—margins, alignment, paragraphs, text, and graphics—can be manipulated to improve your document’s visual appeal and efficiency.
Now, go improve your document design.
Thank you very much for listening and I hope this podcast serves you well.
Hi, and welcome to “Easy Tactics for Improving Your Document’s Visual Appeal and Efficiency.” This podcast will introduce you to some easy tactics to help you create a better looking document that invites readers rather than discourages them, no matter the content.
Each day, numerous documents compete for our attention. So, how can you make your document get the attention it deserves? You need to improve its visual appeal. But how, you ask? It’s easy. With just a few simple tweaks, you’ll see an improvement in your document design.
Part 1 –The Constants
Before I delve into the tactics, there are three important aspects of document design that I want to talk about first – your document’s structure, your audience, and subject. The structure, audience, and your subject are constants—you can’t change them. So, it’s important that you are familiar with them and think about them while you design your document.
Your Structure
When designing a document for any purpose, it’s important to look at its structure. Its structure is the skeleton of your work that gives readers visual clues that indicate different elements. Do you have a title, headings, subheadings, image headings, etc.? How are they laid out? Do you have images, charts, or graphs within your document? How is data shown? Do you use other graphics throughout? Is your document largely text, data, graphics, or a mixture of everything?
These skeletal elements are instruments for great document design so it’s important to know the structure well since it can help you make important design decisions.
Your Audience
Who is the document for? The design of your document is impacted greatly by the audience it is written for: a company executive or client expects a different document than your colleagues, and it is important to remember such distinctions when selecting aspects of your design and taking design liberties in appealing to your audience.
Your Subject
Does your subject limit your document design? A technical report is wholly different from a lengthy interoffice memo. Specific subjects automatically connote a certain design or seriousness. This is another factor important to remember before you tackle your document design.
Since you can’t change the structure, audience, and subject of your document, it’s important to consider those factors when changing the aesthetics of your document. Your document design should complement your document, not detract from it.
Part 2 – The Variables
Now that we’ve talked about your document’s constants, let’s look at the variables. The variables are the elements we can change: margins, alignment, text, and graphics. My tactics for improving your document’s visual appeal revolve around those variables and the mountain of design possibilities available with each one.
The first variable we’re looking at are the margins of your document. The default margin settings for Microsoft Word and similar software programs create lackluster, one-inch margins all around the page. Those settings don’t entertain the eye but bore it! Spice up your document with less symmetrical margins. In Microsoft Word, you can change these settings under Page Layout: consider choosing some off-center margins like a 1.5 inch left margin, a 1-inch right margin, a 2-inch top margin, and a 1-inch bottom margin. Eyes will gravitate to the any settings that break from the norm. So, have fun!
Also, as an added benefit to readers, wider margin settings also allow for ample note-writing space! Your readers just might thank you!
Our next variable, alignment, is another powerful tool in document design. A document’s alignment draws the reader’s eye from page-to-page, and if used properly, can connote strength and professionalism. For your document, try using left-align for all text and images. And, whatever you do, avoid any center-alignment if you want to be taken seriously.
Paragraphs are variable elements of a page that are often ignored in document design, but they can do so much for your document if you just make a few adjustments! For body text, consider changing your tab settings to begin your paragraphs one-and-a-half inches in from the left margins. You retain the strong line you created with left-alignment while also creating variety on the page and distinguishing body text from the title, headings, and subheadings.
Another useful tactic is to indent only the first paragraph in each section of your document. It is a simple visual clue that alerts readers to the beginning and end of a new section and complements any section headings already in use.
Text is a simple variable to manipulate and one of the easiest ways to captivate the eyes. A useful tactic is to employ different typefaces and sizes to distinguish the title, headings, and subheadings from the body text. The rule of thumb is to make noticeable changes in the type and size used. So, if your body text is in 12-point Arial, use something bigger and bolder, like 18-point Perpetua Titling Bold, for the title, 16-point for the headers, and 14-point Italic for the subtitles. If you make changes but still can’t discern different typefaces or sizes from one another, you need to make more dramatic choices.
You have lots of options available with text, but you should limit your document to only 2-3 different text choices for simplicity’s sake. It turns out you really can have too much of a good thing!
The last variable involves the layout of your graphics. If your document contains images, tables, or other such graphics, make sure to place them consistently on your page. A good tactic to remember is to align any graphics with your body text and keep them in proximity to any related data or text. It’s difficult for readers to understand important graphics if their eyes have to jump around the page to find correlated information. Keeping related text and graphics together will pull your document together and provide readers with a better visual experience.
Whatever design decisions you choose to make, be consistent! The purpose of document design is to invite readers with captivating design choices, but some amount of predictability is important if you want your document’s content to be center stage. The page layout and other variable choices you made on one page should be identical on following pages. Inconsistent design is irritating to the eye and detracts from the content. So, be consistent!
When you are considering all these elements in your document design, it is an iterative process. As you tweak your margins, fonts, graphic positions, you’ll have to return to your previous choices to double-check how the elements work together. There is no single answer for document design, and there are several ways to combine these elements into effective document design. Have fun with the process; consider creating your own “style” that will distinguish your documents from your peers.
In this podcast, we looked at several tactics that can improve your document’s visual appearance. We discussed how constants—the structure, audience and subject of your paper— can impact your document design, and how a document’s variables—margins, alignment, paragraphs, text, and graphics—can be manipulated to improve your document’s visual appeal and efficiency.
Now, go improve your document design.
Thank you very much for listening and I hope this podcast serves you well.
It'(s not).
Like Stephanie, I'm sick. Not can't-get-out-of-bed sick but congested sick. I feel perfectly fine except that my nose is a faucet and my throat the poster child for post-nasal drip. I've pleaded with my congestion and asked it to go away, but it's not (or snot, rather).
In the past week, my voice has vacillated between a trying-to-hard sexiness and an uncanny imitation of Fran Drescher, neither of which is great for recording a podcast. I put the actual recording part of the podcasting process off until today in hopes that my voice would be better. While it does sound better, I couldn't speak loud enough and had to rely on Audacity's amplify and normalize features to get a decent finished product. Now, after recording and rerecording all day, my throat hurts so I'm enjoying some chamomile tea and hoping for a peaceful night's sleep--except that I can't breath through my nose and wake several times during the with my dry tongue stuck to my teeth.
Sigh.
In the past week, my voice has vacillated between a trying-to-hard sexiness and an uncanny imitation of Fran Drescher, neither of which is great for recording a podcast. I put the actual recording part of the podcasting process off until today in hopes that my voice would be better. While it does sound better, I couldn't speak loud enough and had to rely on Audacity's amplify and normalize features to get a decent finished product. Now, after recording and rerecording all day, my throat hurts so I'm enjoying some chamomile tea and hoping for a peaceful night's sleep--except that I can't breath through my nose and wake several times during the with my dry tongue stuck to my teeth.
Sigh.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
It's a date.
It was brought to my attention in one of my classes that Sarah Vowell is visiting the Tech Campus on March 3 to speak as part of the Presidential Lecture and Performance series. I recently read her book, Assassination Vacation, and thoroughly enjoyed it (a good portion of the book is available on Google Books). It regales her "travels around the country researching the assasinations of US presidents Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, and James Garfield (Wikipedia)." While it doesn't necessarily sound like your usual page-turner, her humorous delivery of historical facts and anecdotes makes the book both educational and pleasureful to read. I'm not typically a laugh-out-loud person, but several guffaws escaped my lips while reading the book. She also wrote Take the Cannoli, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, and The Wordy Shipmates along with I really look forward her reading and commentary and encourage any who enjoys history, humor and social observation to attend.
You can call 806-742-0706 ext 401 for tickets.
You can call 806-742-0706 ext 401 for tickets.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Blurgh!: Peanuts on Planes
As the parent of a child with a peanut allergy, this recent story about Northwest Airlines struck a nerve. Before my son was diagnosed with the allergy, I would have scoffed at the complaints of individuals with peanut allergies, but now, after seeing my son have a reaction and reading the material on the dangers of peanut allergies, I completely understand and stand behind those complaints against the airline industry and the peanut-providing airliners.
What people don't realize it that allergic reactions aren't predictable: one day it's red eyes and hives, the next it's anaphylaxis, and the following time it is just a throat tingling. There's no magic formula to predict the severity of an attack.
Thankfully, my son isn't, fingers-crossed, one of the breath-the-fumes-and-have-a-reaction people but those individuals are out there, and I feel for those people. It's hard enough worrying about whether or not you'll be stuck next the crying baby, the talker, or the sweaty guy without having to worry about every-single-thing that goes into the mouth, the surfaces you touch, and the air you breath causing an attack.
The accommodations, a "buffer zone" and peanut-free snacks, are of little consolation when an allergy attack is a possible risk. I don't understand why Northwest Airlines is distributing peanuts again, but I suspect money is at the root. Peanut allergies are on the rise and for almost an industry to ignore the medical needs of some of its passengers is irresponsible and a slap-in-the-face. I say, "Blurgh!" to you Northwest Airlines.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The power of blogging
Recent class readings have me thinking about the power of blogging in this Web 2.0 world. The amount of power that bloggers wield with their keyboards never ceases to amaze me. Bloggers speak their minds (sometimes ad nauseum) about anything and everything--a feature that makes them both a PR dream and a nightmare.
This story about the math deficiencies of Verizon customer service representatives came to my attention a few weeks ago. The story is from 2006, but it's still making the rounds in one form or another, which just demonstrates the permanence of the web. Here's the viral video that first introduced me to the story:
If you notice, in his Verizon Math blog, his account was settled within days of beginning the blog. I have to wonder if this was a response to his phone and letter complaints or if it was the popularity of his blog that prompted such quick attention from the company.
Another awe-inspiring story is that of this mom. In October 2008, she started a blog to campaign against Carter's (the children's clothing line) tagless clothes after her daughter developed a "burn" from wearing the clothes. Her story and the subsequent others that cropped up in response prompted Carter's to issue a voluntary recall of the tagless line in question. Within weeks of the initial blog posting, Moms could return the clothes, in any condition, to the company for a refund--not a merchandise credit but a check for the suggested retail value of returned each item--without having to produce a reciept. This was a huge loss to the company but important for damage control. Damage caused by a concerned mother with Web 2.0 power.
These stories are a dime a dozen, but each one is important to the company involved. I imagine that corporations are (or will) hiring teams to monitor company exposure in blogs. Blogs empower the consumer like never before and companies are positioning themselves accordingly.
Over the weekend, I bought a baby shower gift for a friend on Babies R' Us and decided to review an item on the site that I had personal experience with. After reviewing the product, I was surprised to find that I could add the review to my blog with the touch of a button.
The conspiracy-theorist in me thinks this "feature" is just a way for Babies R' Us to track the blogs that review its products in an effort to stay ahead of consumers, but it could just be Babies R' Us' way of hyperlinking the heck out of its site and products and increasing its presence in the blogosphere. Either way, blogging is still in its infancy and it's evolving every day. I'm curious what "blogging" will involve in the future and how it'll impact our consumerism even more.
This story about the math deficiencies of Verizon customer service representatives came to my attention a few weeks ago. The story is from 2006, but it's still making the rounds in one form or another, which just demonstrates the permanence of the web. Here's the viral video that first introduced me to the story:
If you notice, in his Verizon Math blog, his account was settled within days of beginning the blog. I have to wonder if this was a response to his phone and letter complaints or if it was the popularity of his blog that prompted such quick attention from the company.
Another awe-inspiring story is that of this mom. In October 2008, she started a blog to campaign against Carter's (the children's clothing line) tagless clothes after her daughter developed a "burn" from wearing the clothes. Her story and the subsequent others that cropped up in response prompted Carter's to issue a voluntary recall of the tagless line in question. Within weeks of the initial blog posting, Moms could return the clothes, in any condition, to the company for a refund--not a merchandise credit but a check for the suggested retail value of returned each item--without having to produce a reciept. This was a huge loss to the company but important for damage control. Damage caused by a concerned mother with Web 2.0 power.
These stories are a dime a dozen, but each one is important to the company involved. I imagine that corporations are (or will) hiring teams to monitor company exposure in blogs. Blogs empower the consumer like never before and companies are positioning themselves accordingly.
Over the weekend, I bought a baby shower gift for a friend on Babies R' Us and decided to review an item on the site that I had personal experience with. After reviewing the product, I was surprised to find that I could add the review to my blog with the touch of a button.
The conspiracy-theorist in me thinks this "feature" is just a way for Babies R' Us to track the blogs that review its products in an effort to stay ahead of consumers, but it could just be Babies R' Us' way of hyperlinking the heck out of its site and products and increasing its presence in the blogosphere. Either way, blogging is still in its infancy and it's evolving every day. I'm curious what "blogging" will involve in the future and how it'll impact our consumerism even more.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Farewell, perpetual immediacy.
I took the plunge this week and bought my first laptop. I've squeaked by in my graduate studies without one until now, but I can't help but think things would have gone a little smoother with its convenience. Now, with two kids and growing familial obligations (read: craziness), I felt it was a necessity.
I spent the last few weeks reading every article or review I could find on CNET and Consumer Reports, and I've followed the weekly sales ads to understand my options. Once I got the green light (hello, student loan), I bought my HP Pavilion dv4-1225dx. I don't entirely understand all the specs, but it's got a great processor, suffiencient memory, and a reasonable amount of hard drive space so I'm certain my computing needs will be met. I nearly let greed get the best of me by purchasing the 17-inch version that was nearly the same price point, but I wisened up and realized lugging a 17-inch laptop around would be similar to adding another child to my brood. No, thank you. So, I've spent what free time I could find these last few days downloading programs like Flash that I take for granted as being there and removing some of the junk trial-versions and other superfluous software (I'm a little more conservative about software removal than I'd like to be but I'm horribly afraid of doing irreparable damage to my new gadget).
I rounded out my week of techno-splurging by using my student discount to buy Adobe's CS4 Design Premium, which includes Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Fireworks, Flash, and Acrobat Professional. I've used Photoshop and Illustrator a number of times but never had enough time to play and learn. I recently started using Dreamweaver, too, and I'm new to InDesign this semester. I adore all the whole Creative Suite and can't wait to spend some quality time with my new software.
While I'm alarmingly uncomfortable spending that sort of money on myself, I'm trying to look at it as an investment in the future, professional, tool-trained me. I'm desperate for some resume bling!
I spent the last few weeks reading every article or review I could find on CNET and Consumer Reports, and I've followed the weekly sales ads to understand my options. Once I got the green light (hello, student loan), I bought my HP Pavilion dv4-1225dx. I don't entirely understand all the specs, but it's got a great processor, suffiencient memory, and a reasonable amount of hard drive space so I'm certain my computing needs will be met. I nearly let greed get the best of me by purchasing the 17-inch version that was nearly the same price point, but I wisened up and realized lugging a 17-inch laptop around would be similar to adding another child to my brood. No, thank you. So, I've spent what free time I could find these last few days downloading programs like Flash that I take for granted as being there and removing some of the junk trial-versions and other superfluous software (I'm a little more conservative about software removal than I'd like to be but I'm horribly afraid of doing irreparable damage to my new gadget).
I rounded out my week of techno-splurging by using my student discount to buy Adobe's CS4 Design Premium, which includes Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Fireworks, Flash, and Acrobat Professional. I've used Photoshop and Illustrator a number of times but never had enough time to play and learn. I recently started using Dreamweaver, too, and I'm new to InDesign this semester. I adore all the whole Creative Suite and can't wait to spend some quality time with my new software.
While I'm alarmingly uncomfortable spending that sort of money on myself, I'm trying to look at it as an investment in the future, professional, tool-trained me. I'm desperate for some resume bling!
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