Robert Waller

Designing usable texts

Designing usable texts contains a wealth of information and advice for document preparation. The book covers theoretical and practical aspects of writing, editing, and evaluating a document and also includes information concerning the use of graphics in text design.

Criticism, Alternatives and Tests: A Conceptual Framework for Improving Typography.

Abstract The purpose of legibility research is not to discover universal truths, but to improve the practice of typography and design. Research should be directed to specific decisions in particular, practical situations. This article suggests a practical research style which makes use of the tacit know‐how of typographers and designers. The idea is to preface any testing activities with critical and creative activities. This leads to a three‐part cyclical model: criticism, alternatives and tests. Such a model starts with a practical problem and finishes with a decision. This model is illustrated by a critical analysis of some Open University texts.

Four aspects of graphic communication

Information theory, while having a limited direct impact on the study of graphic communication, left a metaphor for communication that, reflecting the transient nature of electronic signals rather than the permanence of the printed media, is, it is argued, unhelpful and somewhat misleading. The metaphor is adapted to draw attention in particular to four aspects of the relationships of the originator and the user to the communication medium: the problem of encoding information in graphic form; diagrams as tools for enquiry and thought; illustrations as aids to learning; and illustrations as aids to problem-solving.

Do you need that second color

When money is short, two-color printing is often the first thing to go from technical manuals and instructional texts. Does their effectiveness suffer as a result? Conversely, when a second color is used, is it often just a waste of money? This paper sets out, first, the main purpose for which a second color can be used; second, technical and perceptual constraints on the use of color; and, third, research findings on color and learning. The purpose of the paper is to provide practical guidelines for decisions about the use of a second color in texts.