A multicolumn design enables you to present a lot of text and graphics of different sizes.

Notice how the designer has used the whole width of the page for one graphic and a single column for a smaller graphic.

Note that the alley—the space between the two columns of text need not be wide. Nor do you need to include a vertical rule to keep the columns separate. The human brain easily understands that each column is a separate space.

In this sample, the bar graph is exactly the width of the column in which it appears. But it doesn’t have to be. It could break the shape of the column and extend into the other column or even into the margin. Or it could be narrower than its column, with the text wrapping around it. The design you see here looks neat and professional. If the graph were wider or narrower than the column, the design might appear somewhat more creative.