Blogging on Bookman

Typefaces can help or hinder the communication process. There are many typefaces to choose from but they should match a documents purpose and function. In Avoiding Typeface Terrors, an article written by Kathleen Burke Yoshida, she identifies three important factors that help determine the appropriate typefaces for effective documentation in technical communication. The legibility, readability, and personality qualities of typefaces can enhance a documents message.

One of my personal favorite typefaces,


was designed by Alexander Phemister. Does it have the qualities that the article describes? It has an old style antique design with lighter stroke weight which gives it a more traditional personality.



You can determine if a typeface is legible if you can read a sentence by just seeing half of the letters.



In this example, Bookman is legible.




Bookman Old Style is a serif font. Serif fonts are better for longer lines since readers use the baseline to follow the text. The x-height, which is the body of the lowercase letters, is large so this also makes it simple to read. If you add to this, ample white space and a point size of 11 or 12 (for body text), then Bookman Old Style can be a good choice.

Catering to Your Audience

Websites are competing for viewer attention. The age and learning styles of intended audiences are essential in planning a successful website. Sites that appeal to their viewers and satisfy their needs keep their viewers coming back.

Audiences as young as preschool age can find websites that are geared for them. Since many kids in this age group cannot read, this poses an interesting usability obstacle for web designers. The creators of PBSkids.org have found great ways to overcome this complication and produce a noteworthy choice for both parents and their children.

PBSkids.org is a fun interactive website designed for preschoolers. The intended audience is obvious with their bright use of colors and pictures. The color jumps off the screen. There are very few words and instead character icons, along with mouseovers, read the links to viewers. The categories are also named as the mouse hovers over different choices: coloring, games, videos, and music. This appeals to both aural and visual/nonverbal learners. The site is uncluttered and children can easily learn how to navigate areas as they click on their favorite characters. The culturally diverse characters are usually familiar and originated from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television station. The site offers many hands on learning activities with games and coloring options that appeal to the active learner.

Another user friendly, active learning website is howstuffworks.com. Anyone interested in finding explanations and solutions in almost any subject area will find this site helpful. Although, any age group could find valuable information, much of the subject matter is more appealing for adults.

There is a useful navigation bar at the top of the screen that categorizes different types of information.

This site is designed to incorporate a wide variety of learning styles. Users have multiple choices on how to get information about how things work. There is a great deal of written text for the visual/verbal style preference. Tactile/kinesthetic users can interact in several ways. There are polls, a place to ask questions, trivia questions, and even a place to drag and drop puzzle pieces.







There are numerous videos and pictures that would appeal to the visual/nonverbal seeker. Article content is also arranged in numerical order of importance which would appeal to the sequential learner.



Although there is a vast amount of text on this website, it is well organized and can be easily navigated making the goal of the site a realistic one. The typography is limited to few fonts and colors and it flows nicely. The orange headings are identifiable and the content is arranged accordingly.

Regardless of your learning style, howstuffworks.com is a user friendly, informative, website that surely keeps viewers going back for more.



Sources:
Learning Styles and Strategies by Richard Felder and Barbara Soloman

Characterizing Audience for Informational Web Site Design by Jennifer Turns and Tracey S. Wagner

Is it Just the Power of Words or their Composition?

You can't deny that Jonathan Reed's "The Lost Generation" is a unique video on perspective. Reed submitted this entry for a contest sponsored by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). Initially, its message is bleak, but eventually the mood changes into one of optimism. Is it just the words of this video that make its message so moving? Or does the visual design makes it distinctive?

As I become more familiar with the study of design, I have found several elements that work well in this video. There is a clever use of space and eye movement where the eye is drawn to the words. As the video plays, the words appear from the bottom and scroll upward and the viewer's eyes move downward. As the words scroll, a female narrator reads the text aloud. The black background offers a mood of despair, which is enhanced by the use of the white text. This color contrast reinforces the meaning optimism vs. pessimism. In the middle of the video, the words change direction (as does the perspective and mood) and your eyes are lead upward. The moving text is consistent throughout in a recurring pattern. This indicates an interesting use of repetition. Incomplete closure can be seen as the form at the end of some sentences is interrupted but made understandable by the narrator. The heading is a little larger and positioned apart from the other text. This establishes it's significance or hierarchy. As does the larger red font of AARP in the final scene.

The typography works well in this video. It is simple and understated but used in conjunction with these design elements is effective.

There are two different audio portions in the video, narration and music. The narrator reads the text using a more somber tone in the first half of the video. As the words reverse, so does her tone. The music contributes to the change of direction and reinforces the change in viewpoint.

Watch the video and please post your comments as they relate to visual design.

Corporate Blogs: Two Different Recipes

In the new world of communication, blogging is another way to offer information. Some corporations are now entering this arena. But what is their motive and how can blogging benefit them? Blogging sites can open up a series of new opportunities for corporations that ordinary websites can’t provide. It can give them a forum to connect on an individual level and encourage feedback from their audience.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The Whole Story, the official Whole Foods Market blog, is intended for an environmentally conscious audience who are interested in healthful, organic foods and lifestyles. The goal of their blog is to educate and inform and promote new products. The site encourages comments and receives many positive posts and responses from the company. Many of the comments are only a few lines and involve cooking, recipes and community outreach. They provide their email as well, for readers that prefer not to make comments on their blog.

The design of the Whole Foods blog starts out with a catchy name “The Whole Story” which implies there is more to know and this is where to get it. It is visually appealing and well organized. It provides an enormous amount of current information on a wide variety of subjects including health and wellness, cooking and recipes, and environmental issues. They also provide tags to find information on specific topics easier. It also offers podcasts and videos on many of these topics. The site presents great photos of delicious looking food. It also offers a “Green Action” category that provides links and information to help promote ecological awareness. Whole Foods makes it easy for you to get updated information through subscriptions to their blog.

The corporate image that is presented to me through this blog is that of a company who cares. It conveys that the corporation cares about the health of its consumers, the environment, and the global world.

The North Face Community is The North Face’s corporate blog. This blog is intended for outdoor adventure seekers. However, the goal of this blog is hard to distinguish. It is not updated regularly and the posts are mainly journal entries about traveling and climbing. The site allows comments but there are very few with only a couple of words each. There is not an email provided for readers that prefer not to make comments on their blog. Visually the site is appealing with scenic views and simple text. It offers short videos (some contain profanity) on climbing expeditions but does not give advice or education on the sport. The site also had a few broken links, though the broken link message was clever. They do not offer tags to find information more easily. The North Face Community does provide trackback links.

The corporate image based on this blog portrays a lack of purpose and focus. Overall, the development of their blog is clearly not a priority for the company at this point.

Works cited- Corporate Blogging:Is it Worth the Hype? posted by Backbone Media

My Intentions

I often find myself overwhelmed in the ever changing world of information technology. I am on overload. With so many communication choices (email, facebook, twitter, blogging etc.), and a limited time and effort to learn them all, I often look for ways to sort out, understand, and use them to my advantage.

As a new student in the field of technical communication, the same challenges are imminent. Not only are there countless ways to prepare and perfect effective documentation, but also various means to deliver it.

My intentions for this blog are to explore and simplify the new innovations of technical communication in order to provide a valuable resource for others. I hope to share information on aspects related to visual design theories, web and graphic design, software applications and many other emerging tools that are essential in producing and delivering technical documentation.