Think about a Web site you visited recently. Now picture an article in a print newspaper or magazine. The differences that come to mind reflect how genre and design are intertwined. You can tell genres apart by focusing on why they are written, how they are written, and what they look like. When you read a document, you’ll probably recognize it as a particular genre. The style in which it’s written, its organization and use of sources, and its appearance work together to help you understand that a document is, for example, a scholarly journal article, a blog entry, a letter to the editor, or a brochure. On the basis of design alone, it’s usually quite easy to tell the difference between an academic essay and an article in a popular magazine. As you read a document (and often without really thinking about it), you’ll notice characteristic features of a genre, such as the use of boldface headlines or detailed footnotes. And once you’ve identified the genre, you’ll find that it’s easier to read the document. For example, understanding how a document is organized can make it easier to locate information. Similarly, if you recognize a document as an advertisement, you’re less likely to be swayed by questionable reasoning.

The following documents illustrate a wide range of genres that might be used to write about a topic. Each document addresses the topic of support services for returning veterans. The documents range from a brochure and a journal article to a PowerPoint presentation and a Web site. As you look at each document, think about the purpose for which it was written, the readers it addresses, the genre conventions it follows, and the design it uses.