... in the world of Technical Communication

A client recently asked me how I go about developing documentation templates. What principles guide my designs? Where did I learn how to design templates?

At first I didn’t know how to answer. Document layout techniques come naturally to me. Yes, I’ve had formal training on layout, font and color fundamentals. I do believe those help guide my design decisions; however, I often vary from these guidelines mostly to aid readability. Overall, I have one principle I adhere to when I’m designing templates:

Make sure the reader can use the completed document efficiently and effectively.

How I go about doing that is different for each client because each audience has its own unique characteristics. During your design phase, consider the following elements:

1. How will the document be accessed (online vs printed vs both)? Choose fonts, colors, and layout characteristics that work best for that medium.
   
2. If the document will be printed, is your employer/client doing the printing or the reader? This will affect your use of color, fonts and graphics as well as limit the page size.
   
3. What information is the reader looking for on the front page? Some documents may need a formal cover page while others may be more usable without one.
   
4. How will readers be referencing information within the document? Use organizational features such as a Table of Contents or Appendix to help readers find what they need quickly.
   
5. Finally, what other information must the document include? Incorporate information such as a document ID, publication date, security notice, etc. into the format so that it is not a distraction to the reader.

These are just a few things to take into consideration when designing a new document template. Be open to changes (even if you’ve been using the template awhile) and flexible with your design. Like the rest of the documentation process, templates change as the business and content needs change.