What is a good Document?

There are many characteristics in producing a good document. Putnis and Petelin (1996 p.254) states, a good document encourage and help readers to read effectively and also emphasize the main content points. Besides that, good writing also plays an important role in creating good document. According to Marc H. Raibert (1985), good writing enabled the person/ reader to concentrate on the ideas, plus it help gives the impression that the writer indeed knows what he/she is explaining. Using in-depth research, I will be using my group presentation as an example, in determining whether it is a good document or not.

According to Diana Reep (2206 p.135), a document design requires a balanced visual weight on its papers in order to attract a reader’s attention. In our presentation, we used a proper “visual weight” that catches the audience’s attention. Putnis and Petelin (1996 p.254) had also stated the must of balancing the negative (empty) space with positive (text and visual) space. Our slides used the informal balance; where the texts is concentrated, but with subtle picture or design, and yet maintaining the balance of the visual weight (diagram 1). In the individual presentation, I decided to keep to the informal balance concept (diagram 2) by just using background designs and texts but no pictures.

(diagram 1)

(diagram 2)

Although our slides were informally balanced, we didn’t have any pictorial examples explaining in depth of a topic. This, Putnis and Petelin (1996 p.254) states, may cause confusion, especially when emphasizing its main point definitions. Take slide 4 of my group presentation (diagram 3), where properties in the design principle; proportion was discussed. We chose to describe the examples using texts, rather than using visual contexts. Maureen Walsh (2006) says that albeit a fluent reader attains meanings from texts, they are evoked by images. Hence, in the individual presentation I have illustrated my points briefly and have provided pictorial examples to explain thoroughly, and to create a good document. (diagram 4(a) and (b))

(diagram 3)

(diagram 4(a) and (b))

According to Soloman Rothman (2005), a good writing skill involves relaying on information directly and literally, with no associative interpretations. This was successfully potryed in our group presentations, where we put main points in bullets and quotations, and prevented from adding unnecessary words (diagram 5). The same goes with my individual presentation, where I briefly explain pointers in not more than five lines; to prevent confusions. (diagram 6)

(diagram 5)

(diagram 6)

Reference:

Raibert, MH (1985), Good Writing, Raibert Writing Advice, viewed 6 April 2009
http://www.alice.org/Randy/raibert.htm

Rothman S (2005), “What makes good scientific technical writing?,” Associated Content, viewed 4 April 2009
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9447/error

Putnis, P, Petlin, R 1996, Proffessional Communication: principles and applications, Writing to communicate, prentice hall, Sydney

Walsh, M. 2006, Textual shift: Examining the reading process with print visual and multimodal texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol.29, no.1, p.24-37

Reep, Diana C (2006), Chapter 4: Principles of Document Design, Technical Writing, 6th ed., Pearson Edu. Inc., New York, p.173-190