6. Designing your document

The objectives of plain design (like plain language) are:

• to present information in a clear, organized way
• to improve readability (how easily a document can be understood)
• to increase or support the reader’s understanding of the text

Figure 5. Objectives of plain design

You are trying to create a document that is visually appealing and easy to read.

When you design your document, think about:

• how and where you will place text and images on the page
• which typefaces (fonts) you will use
• what colours you will use, and where
• what images you will use