Factual Writing/ Page layout

Guinness book of world records

“The longest distance keeping a table lifted with the teeth is 11.80 m (38 ft 8 in) and was achieved by Georges Christen (Luxembourg) who ran this distance holding a 12 kg (26 lb 7 oz) heavy table with a person weighing 50 kg (110 lb 3 oz) sitting on it, on the set of 'Lo show dei record', in Madrid, Spain, on 9 February 2008.”

The Guinness book of world records includes many unusual performances, appearances and facts about people that you would not dream to think were real. I have done a little bit of research into the online page which has most of the records on there to date. The one I have chosen to analyse is ‘The longest distance keeping a table lifted with the teeth’. I decided to choose this because it is something that makes you swallow and think ‘how on earth did he do that’. The book of world records have similarities with the TV programme ‘Britons got talent’. Its all about showing the world what you can do or achieve.

The way the articles are presented are very straight forward,, including nothing but facts. Clarity, conciseness and avoiding ambiguity have forcefully been used to present the facts to the readers about the particular person. The information provided to the right of the image used states ‘who’ the person is, ‘what’ they are competing for and ‘where’ it has been done. This information is straight to the point without been bias or submitting information that is too personal and not needed. The font is all in upper case lettering which suggests a determined atmosphere. Bolding the text in key places draws the eye of the reader. Although there are headings there presenting the information about the person, the actual writing is bold and in a larger font. This is writing that will be seen by the readers firstly. The colour purple has connotations of mystery and is associated with nobility and spirituality. In this sense it is also a conservative colour, with the mix of a strong warm colour and a cool colour to create that level. This combines the achievement together to create an overall distinguishable feeling.

This is the image supporting the factual writing. This image to the left of the text. As we read from left to right, the image is the first aspect on the page that the reader is going to see. The image as you can see is of a high quality and it shows the performance of the world record, giving the readers an bigger incite into the act. The photograph includes 3 other people with the body language and the facial expressions of been shocked and surprised. Using images and text together make it more real for the audience. The size of the photograph been large adds interest and understanding. The lady sat on the table is used as an informal approach to connect with the audience and the fact that its in a restaurant makes it humorous rather than serious. It creates a feeling of consciousness.

The brief description providing all the information about this act is very concise and straight to the point. There isn’t anything that is not needed. It states who, what, when, where and why. There is a lot of punctuation and brackets formed within the description. This is used to make it more precise to the audience. It is accurate and very clear on exactly what has happened. “The longest distance keeping a table lifted with the teeth is 11.80 m (38 ft 8 in) and was achieved by Georges Christen (Luxembourg) who ran this distance holding a 12 kg (26 lb 7 oz) heavy table with a person weighing 50 kg (110 lb 3 oz) sitting on it, on the set of 'Lo show dei record', in Madrid, Spain, on 9 February 2008.”

Here is one of Jamie Oliver’s recipes. He has many different cook books that have been published as well as online recipes that are also included in his cook books. I have taken one of his recipes from his website ‘secret steak and chips’. As you can see from the image it is not your ordinary steak and chips. Jamie is an extremely well known chef, so he is always try to impress and create suitable meals for all different audiences. The first aspect that you see when coming to the recipe page is a photograph. It is always good when producing recipes for people to ensure that the end product looks appetizing for the consumer thoughts to be processed into using that recipe. The photograph of the finished product has been presented to be the first thing that the audience will see, this is a mechanism used to try and leer the audience into scrolling down the page to actually read and use the recipe. Without a photograph, the audience will have no idea what the end product is supposed to actually look like, whether they have done it right or wrong will be the question on their minds. To the right of the photograph it states how many people the recipe serves, how long it will take and the level of difficulty. The fact that it says ‘Not too tricky’ portrays a very informal approach. Using an informal approach allows the audience to relate and understand the recipe easily. Using understandable and easy terminology will make it better for the audience. The icons are very friendly looking, using only shades of the background and white to make it look almost 3D.

The word ‘garlicky’ that is used, is not a real word. This word is created to explain to the audience that garlic is involved in a informal manner to create a positive, easy going atmosphere. The word ‘licky’ can also suggest a mouthwatering experience making you as the audience feel hungry for the recipe.

The fact the recipe is named ‘Secret..’ is very misleading. Steak and chips is a meal that is very common in England therefore Jamie is using this as an advertising mechanism. It is obvious that the recipe is not secret as he is trying to get people to use it. It suggests a different turn on the tradition steak and chips which people will be interested in trying. The color scheme is neutral and very calm. The beige against the black and grey text makes it easy on the eyes as the contrast between them isn’t high.

There are related images presented below of different recipes that the audience can use also. The text used for the title is bold and in a large font. The typeface used throughout is simple and easy to read.

Above is the list of ingredients and the method of how to make the ‘secret steak and chips’. This was located below the imagery on Jamie Oliver's website, so this would have been the last section the audience see when scroling down the page. The overall color scheme is very neutral keeping it all within the same house style, using beige for the background and grey for the text. This creates a very calm feeling, which is good in contrast that the audience will be using the recipe to cook, their attitude will need to be enthusiastic and calm. The ingredients list is very accurate and concise. It has clarity but the last item on the list ‘steak; the way Jamie has provided information next to it for usage of other different steaks makes the recipe seem more confusing. It states to go and ‘see page 140’. This makes the recipe process longer then expected having to go through separate pages of his book. On the other hand, it allows you to explore the different aspects and tastes to see which one suits you referencing sources. The recipe is all very precise stating exactly how much of each product is needed to create the meal. The information is very clear and easy to read. The white background makes it stand out more then the rest of the page, which is important because the ingredients is one of the first things the customer is going to need to get together to prepare.

Nutritional information has also been added as a legal constraint that is required on all food products. This is something that people will take into consideration before preparing to produce the recipe, as health is a big aspect in a humans life. It is difficult to sell something that doesn't look appetising as well as not having any goodness to it. 

The method is set out in paragraphs rather then a list of things to so. This makes it more difficult to follow the instructions from one to the other. The language used is informal and uses words that suggest some of the text is not relevant to the recipe. This piece of text does not avoid ambiguity but in the context that it is used connects with the overall house style presented. The size of the text used with the grey against the beige is not extremely easy to read. It creates a calming atmosphere which is potentially needed when trying to cook something. Having to go back and forth to the recipe, it is important that it doesn’t strain your eyes, the small text suggests having to squint and get up close to ensure that you can read it properly as you don’t want to do anything wrong. The method is presented to be the least important aspect on the page.

Very enthusiastic words such as ‘pound with your fists’ and ‘until crispy and golden’. This makes the recipe sound more exciting and creates fun and joy rather than a something that you want to do just to have the end meal.