GVCM Chapter 1: Document Design

Name:	Student Number:
ISM 4011: Introduction to Information Systems
Graphics and Visual Communication for Managers (GVCM)
Introduction: Documents as Visual Communication
DIRECTIONS: 1. Answer the questions as indicated below in the space under the question.  Answers may be found in the appropriate chapter of your GVCM textbook. 2. Change your answers to blue so they can be easily distinguished from the questions. 3. Create a new blog post and copy this information into the post. 4. Once it is pasted into your blog, select all the text (CTRL A) and change the font to TREBUCHET. 5. Change the TITLE of the post to the chapter name and number.
1. List five decisions that affect a document’s readability and appeal:
Answer here…
2. Explain why you may choose to design a document with an underlying grid pattern (such as. 2/3 text, 1/3 for figures) as opposed to a single column document.
3.  Explain how using white space appropriately can increase the effectiveness of your document.
4.  What is the optimum line length in an effective document? What happens if the line length is too short? What if it is too long?
5. List and explain the four types of alignment and when each should be used.
6. Explain the difference between serif and sans serif fonts. Give examples of each. IMPORTANT NOTE: Although serif fonts may be easy to read on printed documents, the serifs add extra pixels to electronic text which make the text more difficult to read on the screen (especially on mobile devices). This is why you change the font of your blog to Trebuchet, as sans serif font.
7. What happens if you use a font in a shared Word document that is not available on the other person’s computer? How can you avoid this?
8. What is a PDF file? What is the advantage of using PDFs?
9. Explain the following type size terms:
a.  Point size: b.  Ascender: c.  Descender: d.  X-height:
10.  How can two fonts that are the same point size (say, 36 points) look significantly different in size?
11. What is leading (BTW, this is pronounced “ledding” not “leeding”)?  What recommendations regarding leading should be followed to create an effective document?  Why should you avoid leading that is “set solid”?
12. Why is a block of text that is in all UPPER-CASE difficult to read?
13. List at least four different type styles. Why should you avoid using too many different type styles in a document?
NOTE regarding the RECOMMENDATIONS on pages 19-20: The recommendations on pages 19-20 provide a brief, but excellent set of guidelines to follow when designing an effective document. You will be responsible for following these guidelines for all documents you create for this course.  (You will also want to keep these guidelines in mind when you are tasked with creating a document for your business or organization.)