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WRITER’S CHECKLIST

Click each checklist item to read more about it.

Did you

analyze your audience: their knowledge of the subject, their attitudes, their reasons for reading, and the kinds of tasks they will be carrying out?

consider the purpose or purposes you are trying to achieve?

determine your resources in time, money, and equipment?

Designing Print Documents and Pages

Did you

consider the best size for the document?

consider the best paper?

consider the best binding?

think about which accessing aids would be most appropriate, such as icons, color, dividers and tabs, and cross-reference tables?

use color, if available, to highlight certain items, such as warnings?

devise a style for headers and footers?

devise a style for page numbers?

draw thumbnail sketches and page grids that define columns and white space?

choose typefaces that are appropriate for your subject?

use appropriate styles from the type families?

use type sizes that are appropriate for your subject and audience?

choose a line length that is suitable for your subject and audience?

choose line spacing that is suitable for your line length, subject, and audience?

consider whether to use left-justified text or full-justified text?

design your title for clarity and emphasis?

devise a logical, consistent style for each heading level?

use rules, boxes, screens, marginal glosses, and pull quotes where appropriate?

Designing Online Documents

Did you

create informative headers and footers?

help readers navigate the site by including a site map, a table of contents, “Back to top” links, and textual navigation buttons?

include extra features your readers might need, such as an FAQ page, a search page or engine, resource links, a printable version of your site, or a text-only version?

help readers connect with others through links to interactive portions of your site and to social-media sites?

design for readers with vision, hearing, or mobility impairment?

design for multicultural audiences?

aim for simplicity in web page design by using simple backgrounds and conservative color combinations and by avoiding decorative graphics?

make the text easy to read and understand by keeping it short, chunking information, and writing simply?

create clear, informative links?