Before you begin formatting text or inserting illustrations, consider how the design principles of balance, emphasis, placement, repetition, and consistency can help you accomplish your goals as a writer.

Balance is the vertical and horizontal alignment of elements on your pages (see the example below). Symmetrical designs create a sense of rest and stability and lead readers’ eyes to focus on a particular part of a document. In contrast, asymmetrical — or unbalanced — designs suggest movement and guide readers’ eyes across the page.

Emphasis is the placement and formatting of elements, such as headings and subheadings, so that they catch your readers’ attention. You can emphasize an element in a document by using a color or font that distinguishes it from other elements; by placing a border around it and adding a shaded background; or by using an illustration, such as a photograph, drawing, or graph.

Placement is the location of elements on your pages. Placing elements next to or near each other suggests that they are related. An illustration, for example, is usually placed near the passage in which it is mentioned.

Repetition is the use of elements, such as headers and footers, navigation menus, and page numbers, throughout the pages in your document. As readers move from page to page, they tend to expect navigation elements, such as page numbers, to appear in the same place. In addition, repeated elements, such as a logo or Web navigation menu, help establish a sense of identity across the pages in your document.

Consistency is the extent to which you format and place text and illustrations in the same way throughout your document. Treating each design element — such as illustrations, headings, and footnotes — consistently will help readers recognize the role it plays in your document and, by extension, will help them locate the information they seek. A consistent design can also convey a sense of competence and professionalism to your readers, increasing their confidence in the quality and credibility of your document.

You should also keep two other principles in mind: simplicity and moderation. An overly complex design can obscure important ideas and information. Using design elements moderately to create a simple yet effective design is the best approach.