academic report design
DESCRIPTION
A semi-academic and practical approach to the planning and design of the good layout of the report. A lecture for the multimedia programme at EASJ / ZIBAT Campus Slagelse. http://easj.dk/?p=1142 Enjoy :-)TRANSCRIPT
Academic Report Design
Best Practice Approaches
Academic Report Design
The Content > Formalities of Codifications
The Grid > The Style of the Space
The Typography > The Style of the Form
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Academic Report Design
The Content > Formalities of Codifications
Examples > ask and find out:
What are the basic, standard requirements for the academic paper? It could be simple content such as table of contents, resume etc.
Are there any codifications of footnotes, pictures and references etc.?It could be the Harvard reference method, endnotes, footnotes etc.What is to be in the appendices and what is best displayed directly in the paper’s progression? Do you have a freedom of choice or are thereany codification to govern this part?
How is one page defined? No matter how a page is defined, say, as 2400 characters including spacing, you must not exceed more than 60 characters per line (and avoid too narrow leading). That means, thatthe page count is not equal to the actual number of layouted pages.
1
1 · a
1 · b
1 · c
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
Examples > ask and find out:
Benefits of active, white space vs. a more compact layout?
How to make a well defined layout grid (columns)?
What is the best information structure?
2
2 · a
2 · b
2 · c
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
Benefits of active, white space vs. a more compact layout?
2
2 · a
Picture Source: http://www.scottefranson.com/blogs/fall2011/group4/2011/11/11/ex-10-type-color/exercise_type-color-4/
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
Benefits of active, white space vs. a more compact layout?
Picture Source: http://joshuahellerrarebooks.com/catalogue/cat-42
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Use a consistent
colour themeto add
contrast and to signify
information structure
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
Benefits of active, white space vs. a more compact layout?
2
2 · a
Picture Source: http://www.gngcreative.com/newsletters/nl6.html
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
Benefits of active, white space vs. a more compact layout?
2
2 · a
Picture Source: http://brand.britishcouncil.org/visual-identity/typography/a4-portrait-typography/
Brand Guides for The British Council
1. A consistent design element (in this case the strong horizontal line and use of the corporate blue) is adapted and applied considerately across the spread.
2. Two-column grid on an A4 page. This is shown by the pink outlined boxes –which is not part of the design.
3. Running headers (in this case the copy next to the number 3 – ‘Studying English in the UK’) remind the audience of the title of the document and where they are in the document.
4. Images are considerately cropped to show them to their best advantage. Instead of filling this page with text, white space has been left to balance the feel of the page.
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
Benefits of active, white space vs. a more compact layout?
2
2 · a
Picture Source: http://brand.britishcouncil.org/visual-identity/typography/a4-landscape-typography/
Brand Guides for The British Council
1. A clear and consistent alignment has been established. All graphic elements (i.e. the tops of the columns of text) all start at the same height on the page.
2. A text-heavy page is balanced by large areas of white space.
3. Running footers are separated from text by a thin line.
4. A large column on the right-hand side of the page is left free to visually balance the two large columns of text on the left.
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
How to make a well defined layout grid (columns)?
2
2 · b
FromSketch
To Grid
Picture Source: http://www.vanseodesign.com/web-design/grid-choices/
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
How to make a well defined layout grid (columns)?
2
2 · b
FromSketch
To Grid
Picture Source: zzzzzz
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
How to make a well defined layout grid (columns)?
Picture Source: http://www.shrutimaidam.com/typography.html
2
2 · b
FromSketch
To Grid
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
What is the best information structure?
2
2 · c
Picture Source: David Engelby’s academic paper: http://www.opgavebank.dk/src/ViewArticle.php?id=633
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
What is the best information structure?
Picture Source: Excerpt from the book Leyers eller Beleyrings Dagverck, typograpic design by David Engelby
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2 · c
Footnotes:
Use goodSpace.
Let booksInspire you.
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
What is the best information structure?
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2 · c
Right page
Picture Source: David Engelby’s academic paper: http://www.opgavebank.dk/src/ViewArticle.php?id=633
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
What is the best information structure?
Picture Source: David Engelby’s academic paper: http://www.opgavebank.dk/src/ViewArticle.php?id=633
2
2 · c
Left page
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
What is the best information structure?
Picture Source: http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001Zi
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2 · c
Let booksinspire you
Edward Tufte
is a famousexpert in
informationDesign
(see link)
Academic Report Design
The Grid > The Style of the Space
What is the best information structure?
Picture Source:http://vi.sualize.us/annual_2007_catapult_design_typography_grid_annual_report_picture_xirT.html
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2 · c
Let magazinesinspire you
A bit riskywith blackbackdrop,
But for some info
pages it adds a
break to the flow of
the text.
Academic Report Design
The Typography > The Style of the Form
Examples > ask and find out:
Benefits of serif fonts vs. non serif fonts?
The variation of the font family?
The connotation of the font?
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3 · a
3 · b
3 · c
Academic Report Design
The Typography > The Style of the Form
Benefits of serif fonts vs. non serif fonts?
3
3 · a
Picture Source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/11/04/best-practices-of-combining-typefaces/
Academic Report Design
The Typography > The Style of the Form
The variation of the font family?
3
3 · b
Picture Source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/11/04/best-practices-of-combining-typefaces/
Academic Report Design
The Typography > The Style of the Form
The connotation of the font?
3
3 · c
Picture Source: http://blog.typekit.com/category/new-fonts/page/3/ & http://typographica.org/typeface-reviews/expo-serif/
Academic Report Design
Typography
Grid
Content
Academic Report Design
Good Resources
Kim Pedersen & Anders Kidmose (1993): In Black and White. An r&d Report on Typography and Legibility.The Graphic College of Denmark.(A publication in both Danish and English. Orig.: Sort på hvidt. En udviklingsrapport om typografi og læselighed. Den Grafiske Højskole 1993)
Hartmut Stöckl (2005):“Typography: body and dress of a text – a signing mode between language and image.” In Visual Communication 4, 2005.
Edward Tufte (2001):The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.Graphics Press USA. 2nd edition.
Robert Bringhurst (2008 ed.)The Elements of Typographic Style.Hartley & Marks Publishers.
And for web:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/02/09/applying-mathematics-to-web-design/
http://webtypography.net/
http://fontdeck.com/