DESIGN RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH

Place related content together. When people view information elements that are close together, they assume the elements are related.

Format sections to look visually similar unless you want to emphasis a section.

Creates emphasis on only some sections of a composition to control the order in which the viewer looks at the elements.

Bold text that contains the key content within a paragraph—Avoid emphasizing too much text.

Emphasize the numbers when presenting statistics to highlight the data.

Emphasis in text can be created by creating contrast (changing the format: bold, color, etc.). Avoid changing more than one format type.

Align text and graphics to the left. Unless you’re trying to emphasize one area (such as the title).

Your bullets should be hanging.

Add vertical space between bullet points.

Avoid Hyphenation. Hyphens make it harder to read. Only use hyphenation with narrow columns.

Use appropriate column widths. The ideal column width is 52–65 letters wide.

Choose a color copied from a graphic to unify the composition.

Colors should have the same saturation level, or they won’t look like they match each other.

Avoid using rainbow colors in text. It is too distracting and makes the text less legible. Rainbows can be used as a graphic (when appropriate).

Ensure the best color contrast for all readers. Consider those who are color blind. Red/green color blindness is the most common and should be avoided.

The style of the icons/symbols should match.

Use related icons/symbols to emphasis sections.

Use icons/symbols to visually connect data content.

Prioritize the information that you are trying to communicate.

Use Icons to create quick context clues. Icons that relate to your results are helpful for reader engagement and content comprehension.

Use color in an intentional way. Limit your color range unless it is necessary for communication.