In designing a document, you have five major goals:
To make a good impression on readers. Your document should reflect your own professional standards and those of your organization.
To help readers understand the structure and hierarchy of the information. As they navigate a document, readers should know where they are and how to get where they are headed. They should also be able to see the hierarchical relationship between one piece of information and another.
To help readers find the information they need. Usually, people don’t read every word in a print document, and they don’t study every screen of an online document. In print documents, design elements (such as tabs, icons, and color), page design, and typography help readers find the information they need quickly and easily. In online documents, design elements are critically important because readers can see only what is displayed on the screen; without design elements to help them navigate, they are stranded.
To help readers understand the information. Effective design can clarify information. For instance, designing a set of instructions so that the text describing each step is next to the accompanying graphic makes the instructions easier to understand. An online document with a navigation bar displaying the main sections is easier to understand than an online document without one.
To help readers remember the information. An effective design helps readers create a visual image of the information, making it easier to remember. Text boxes, pull quotes, and similar design elements help readers remember important explanations and passages.