Consider Genre and Design
Reflective essays, like other academic essays, use design elements to make it easier for instructors and classmates to read and comment on drafts. As you draft your essay, consider how decisions about fonts, line-spacing, margins, and illustrations will help your readers respond to your ideas.
- Choose a readable font. If you’ve ever read a document formatted with a decorative font, such as
or 
, you know how difficult it can be to read. Now imagine that you’re an instructor reading twenty-five, fifty, or even a hundred essays over a weekend. Think about how you would feel if you found yet another essay printed in a decorative script, in a bright color, in CAPITAL LETTERS, or in an italic face. It’s generally best to choose a simple font that’s easy to read, such as 
or 
. - Provide generous margins and double-spacing. If you are asked to submit your essay on paper, your instructor will usually make comments in the margins. Leave plenty of room for handwritten comments. Your margins should be at least one inch wide, and lines should be double-spaced.
- Consider using illustrations. Depending on your subject, your reflective essay might benefit from illustrations. Photographs and other images can set a mood and help your readers understand the subject more completely. If you do decide to include illustrations, be sure that they contribute to your reflection; purely decorative images are usually more distracting than helpful.
You can learn more about these and other elements of document design in Chapter 16.