Whoever writes wants to be read. Yet, even if we succeed in creating an informative, logically structured, and adequately worded text tailored to our target audience, i.e., text we consider to have an adequate level of readability, our documents may still go unread—or read with antipathy. Next to linguistic factors, therefore, there is a wide range of other aspects determining how well we understand a text, including layout, typography, or cultural adequacy. Documents people can use effectively and with ease have language, graphics, and design combine into a harmonious whole. Good design helps arouse interest and singles a text out from many others that vie for our attention. In short, good design is no luxury. This article is the first in a series of assays on the role of format and design in readability. Rather than attempting to transform writers into graphics designers, the goal is to have writers see the beauty of layout and typography and have them harmoniously blend with the content to be conveyed.
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