February 1998 — Features

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Does the Right Software a Great Designer Make?

DR. LINDA F. SZUL, DR. DAWN E. WOODLAND

Therefore, the text of your visuals is critical to their effectiveness. Distill the message to its absolute essence. Use telegraphic style when composing and remember to be aware of the "Rule of Sixes or Sevens." This principle means using no more than six lines of text with no more than six words per line or seven lines of text with no more than seven words per line. A good suggestion is to begin each line with a verb followed by either an adjective or a noun. Each line of text should be parallel with the other lines on that visual; i.e., begin with the same part of speech.

Students must be able to see the information clearly. To ensure readability use a point size of at least 30. Be sure that the typeface is easy to read. There has been considerable debate over the use of serif vs. sans serif fonts. Current literature supports font faces from each category as long as they are easy to read.

Design experts show a slight preference for serif fonts; however, any simple serif or sans serif font can be used. Teachers should avoid condensed fonts. Both upper- and lower-case letters should be used. Text composed of all upper-case letters is more difficult to read than normal text, which is primarily lower-case. Also remember that italics should not be used for emphasis; it also makes text more difficult to read.

Now It's Your Turn

The principles outlined in this article incorporate basic instructional design strategies for creating visuals. While the right software may not a great designer make, neither do these principles. However, by following these precepts, a teacher with a minimum of creativity and drive who is a proficient computer user can produce professional-looking and educationally sound visuals.

Dr. Linda Szul is an Associate Professor in the Department of Office Systems and Business Education at the Eberly College of Business, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her educational background is in instructional design and technology. She teaches courses in communication and the use of technology, and has made presentations relative to the article's main ideas.
E-mail: lfszul@grove.iup.edu

Dr. Dawn E. Woodland is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Office Systems and Business Education at the Eberly College of Business, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She studied instructional design and technology as part of her doctoral work. Woodland teaches courses in communication and technology applications, and has taught workshops regarding presentation software and the design of visuals.
E-mail: woodland@grove.iup.edu

References:
1. Tascarella, P. (1996), "Computers Put Design Tools Into the Hands of the Common Client, Pittsburgh Business Times, December 30, 1996, p.12.
2. Szul, L. F. (1995), "The effect of color variations in screen text on the accuracy of proofreading from a video display terminal," unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
3. Alessi, S.M., and Trollip, S. R. (1985), Computer-Based Instruction: Methods and Development, Englewood Cliffs, CO: Prentice-Hall.
4. Fleming, M., and Levie, W. H. (Eds.) (1993), Instructional Message Design: Principles from the Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (2nd ed.), Englewood Cliffs, CO: Educational Technology Publications, p. 105.
5. Woodland, D. E. (1995), "The effect of visualization ability and computer screen text design elements on achievement," unpublished doctoral dissertation, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill.