Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18 is about design principles and how to use them effectively. Balance is one of the things to consider. Using symmetrical or asymmetrical alignment can lead your reader's eye to focus on important portions. Emphasis involves using headings and subheadings to catch your readers' attention. Placement is another important one. Pull quotes or images should be placed near the text that is most pertinent to them. Repetition helps establish consistency, whether it be with page numbers or identifying logos. Consistency itself is important. Using the same elements throughout your paper allows them to work for the reader's benefit. Throughout the design process, you should deeply consider your purpose and your readers. Ask yourself how design aspects can help you accomplish your purposes. Think about the reader and help them understand the format of your paper and easily locate information.

Chapter 18 is important to us as we write because it proper design has a great effect on our readers. The overall "togetherness" of a finished paper is like a first impression: you want it to look good. I thought the part about fonts was interesting. I noticed the headings and such will be different fonts from the text body, but I didn't know how that was decided. The visual of the serif and sans-serif comparison was helpful. You can also use colors and shading to separate sections. The Bedford reader itself does this, with black italic, and red or blue bold headings for certain sections. The consistency throughout all the chapters makes it easier as a reader to skim and find information.