Document Design

worth 25% of your class grade

In groups of 2-4 people choose one of the four project options. Your goal for this project is to take the document you have and design a professional and useable “large” document for your audience, purpose and context. This means you will need to not only apply the design concepts we have learned in class, but that you will/may need to also:

• design a cover and title page (required for all projects)
• design a table of contents (required for all projects) and index
• create and/or design visuals including data displays
• design header, footers, and other various parts of larger documents

Style Sheet and Prototype Page

Due by the end of class 4/8 on paper or email

The purpose of this part of the project is to give you both practice and knowledge about style sheets, prototype pages, and their application to a project. Please refer the samples and slides and presentation over Style Sheets and Prototype Pages to be given 4/1.

For this style sheet assignment the group must design a style sheet and prototype page for the project. If the worked handed in has only a style sheet or prototype page a 50% deduction will be given.

The Style Sheet:
For this you need to create a style sheet similar to my sample. Include both the page and type elements, along with any other elements you think important to detail in the style sheet. Make sure you to apply the style sheet guidelines into the style sheet itself. Use the correct font(s), colors (if possible) and sizes when making the style sheet.

The Prototype Page:
You also need to include a prototype page that displays the style sheet design (sample). Here you apply the style sheet to display what a single “sample” page of your document would look like. None of the text or images needs be to be real, in fact normally greeking is used. Make sure you include at least some heading levels and the headers and footers. If you will be using visuals (such as data displays) you may want to include an example (I recommend it).

Sample Style Sheets & Prototype Pages : sample Style Sheets & sample Prototype Page

Usability Testing Report Plan

Due: 4/15 on paper
The usability testing report plan gives you a change to plan your usability testing, which will aid you in successful testing. This should be a single-spaced to 1.5 spaced document no longer than 5 pages. You should refer to my lecture on usability testing and to the reading over usability testing. It can be as short as you want, as long as it meets the requirements. Your usability testing should be of at least 2 users. Class time on 4/15 will be dedicated to usability testing.

Your Report should include (Hint: These could be section headings and subheadings)

• A description of the document (what it is about, audience , purpose, context ….)
• An explanation of the:
  • test plan
  • test points & type of test
  • performance objective
  • testers and evaluators
  • test environment
• List of tasks
• Sample Test materials (could be an appendix, but should be discussed in text)

You may find the Sample Usability Testing outline helpful (it has the purpose, objectives, task selection and more)

Usability Tests & Draft

We will use class time 4/15 to conduct usability tests using with your classmates. Bringing in a fairly complete draft of your project and conducting these tests will result in a participation grade. You do not need to hand in the draft, but only show it to me before you start the testing.

You may find the usability testing resources helpful (feel free to use these as the basis of your own usability testing documents):

• Sample Consent form
• Sample Welcome & Briefing form
• Sample Usability Testing: purpose, objectives, task selection and more
• Observation Form: a good default form used to writing down usability testing observations
• Example Task for Users: here is how I would present a task to users (note if I had multiple tasks they would each be set up like this on separate pages)

Revised Large Document

Due: 4/27 on paper properly printed and bound

The revised large document should be a professional and useable “large” document designed from one of the the options (listed below). It should be of professional quality, and well-designed document appropriate for genre, audience, purpose, and context. This means you will need to not only apply the design concepts we have learned in class, but that you will/may need to also:

• design a cover and title page (required for all projects)
• design a table of contents (required for all projects) and index
• create and/or redesign visuals including data displays
• design header, footers, and other various parts of larger documents

Some of the class design concepts you will need to draw on for a successful project are:

• Proximity
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Contrast
• Visual Culture
• Visual Perception
• Visual Rhetoric including: Rhetor & rhetor’s goals, Audience, Ethos, Logos, Pathos
• Color
  
• Type choices and uses including voice-over, faces, and contrast choices
• Readability and legibility
• Focal points & things that might be missed
• Figure-Ground Contrast
• Visual Noise
• Visuals (including data displays) & Text use & integration
  

This will be graded not only on your application of these design concepts, but also on the professionalism of the document, the inclusion of required components, and attention to genre, audience, purpose, and context.

The Project Assessment Memo (PAM)

Due: 4/27 on paper

Like many of the other designs in this class, you will need to discuss your design. This memo should act as:

• an explanation of your design decisions and rational
• a discussion of how you responded to the genre, audience, purpose, and context
• an analysis of your design in regards to the class design concepts (such as Proximity, Alignment, and the other concepts listed above)
• a report on the results of your usability testing and how the testing impacted your design

This memo should be at least 3 pages in length (10-12 point font, single to 1.5 spacing, depending on the design of the memo).

The Four Document Options for You to Revise

Your group has five project options for this assignment and you will need to choose an option. If your group can find another appropriate option you may contact me by the end of class 4/8 to get this alternative approved. Your options are:

1. The Department of English Lower Division Studies Instructor Handbook: This handbook was created by the Lower Division Studies and “covers information from the very practical workings of the department (who to ask what and where to find what you need) to the more theoretical and pedagogical (course syllabi, class activities and methods, and textbook ideas)” (from the handbook).
   Audience: The Audience is mostly graduate student instructors and other instructors, but new faulty and the department as a whole are secondary audiences.
   Purpose: The purpose is to inform new and continuing instructors on the workings and policies of the department, to provide an introduction to teaching at Georgia state, and to offer sample syllabi and assignments.
   Context: The handbook will mostly be read in offices, but may be referenced to and discussed in meetings, and needs to be organized for quick reference if the instructors have questions.
   Genre: The handbook genre is fairly broad. Larger handbooks, such as this one, should include the typical elements of larger documents (such as a table of contents). This handbook is professional in tone and content, but does not need to be overly formal.
   Document: Department of English Lower Division Studies Instructor Handbook
   
   
2. International User Analysis: This is the analysis and recommendation report for the KTTS User Analysis Group’s study of cultural models and cultural communication for U.S., France, and China markets. The report comes with a image cover, which you may choose to redesign.
   Audience: The Audience is the Publishing Group, another group within the KTTS company. The audience is interested in publishing in the French and Chinese markets and wanted recommendations. You may determine the tone and formality of KTTS and other audience concerns, as long you discuss this in your report. The secondary audience is Patricia Kalman, CEO of KTTS who originally asked for the report.
   Purpose: The purpose is to provide information on “most effective communication methods for addressing U.S., France, and China target market countries based on our research” and communication recommendations for the Publishing Group.
   Context: The report will mostly be read/skimmed in offices, but may be referenced to and discussed in meetings, and needs to be organized for quick reference.
   Genre: The recommendation report genre is a business writing genre that emphasizes proposed change through recommendations. Longer recommendation reports typically have abstracts (as this one does) and tables of contents. If there are a large number of tables or figures (more than 3) an list of table and/or a list of figures may be necessary. Appendixes are common addition to these reports.
   Document: International User Analysis
   
   
3. A proposal for a Psychosocial Program in Sierra Leone: Full title: A Psychosocial Program for Repatriating Generally Affected and At-Risk Sierra Leonean Youth and Adolescents Kailahun District, Sierra Leone. November 2004 – November 2006. This proposal report is an analysis done by Save the Children to investigate and propose “ways to provide some continuum of care and expertise in Sierra Leone” (from the report).
   Audience: The audience is people within Save the Children organization that would need to approve the project. These people are interested in “saving the children,” but also projects that can make the greatest impacts, and the “bottom line” of projects (cost and the needs of the project) so they can determine if the projects are feasible.
   Purpose: The purpose is present a psychological program that responds to unmeant needs in Sierra Leone. The purpose is not only to provide the information and need for this program, but to ideally get the program approved and running. So, the purpose is to inform and sell the program.
   Context: The proposal will mostly be read in offices, but may be referenced to and discussed in meetings. The proposal may be included in other proposals and requests for funding. In addition, the proposal may be referenced later in the Sierra Leone when the project is being developed.
   Genre: The genre is similar to the recommendation report in that it is a business writing genre that emphasizes proposed change. Longer proposals typically have abstracts (as this one does in the form of an exceptive summary) and tables of contents. If there are a large number of tables or figures (more than 3) an list of table and/or a list of figures may be necessary. Appendixes are common addition to these reports. This proposal may have more of an appeal to pathos due to the nature of the topic and organization.
   Document: A proposal for a Psychosocial Program in Sierra Leone
   
   
4. Professional Paper on Usability Testing: Full title: “Not Just Usability Testing: Remembering and Applying Non-Usability Testing Methods for Learning How Websites Function.”
   Audience: This paper is written for a professional audience of mainly those in the field of technical communication, and also (in a smaller portion, but still part of the main audience) academics in the area of technical communion.
   Purpose: The purpose is present an argument for “other” methods of website design beyond usability testing.
   Context: The paper will mostly be read in professional business and academic settings such as offices. The paper may be studied in classes and needs to be easy to reference for students and professionals who may need to reference the article for their own uses (such a website design or their own publications). The document may also referenced and discussed in meetings or classes.
   Genre: The genre is professional, but variable. This particular document is aimed at a business and academic audience so it may tend towards a more traditional tone, while still appealing to those in business. Longer papers typically have summaries and may have table of content. If there are a large number of tables or figures (more than 3) an list of table and/or a list of figures may be necessary. Appendixes are common additions to these papers.
   Document: Professional Paper on Usability Testing
5. First Arguments: A Peer Approach to Persuasion: This textbook for first year composition was written by GSU teachers. This is the whole textbook. If you select this project please choose 20+ pages (preferably continuous pages, if other discuss it with me first) for the project that best showcase your design abilities. You may find chapters three & four the most interesting as they have a variety of different things to design (although three is long, so you may choose to only do part of it. Four would work well for this project. You will also need to do a cover and title page for the whole book, as well as the table of contents for the whole book.
   Book: First Arguments: A Peer Approach to Persuasion