Document Design by Miles A Kimball

Document Design by Miles A Kimball

Introduces students to the basic principles and theories of design, combining practical advice about the design process with a foundation in visual rhetoric and usability.

Document Design introduces students to the basic principles and theories of design, combining practical advice about the design process with a foundation in visual rhetoric and usability. Most books on document design lean toward either theory or practice. This book offers a balanced approach-theoretically informed practice-that introduces a working vocabulary to help students become reflective practitioners, able not only to create effective designs but also to explain why and how they made their design choices. Derek G. Ross and Miles A. Kimball hope to give students the foundation they need to make design decisions in any rhetorical situation. Students will learn to negotiate between the needs of both users and clients to consider the nuances of audience, purpose, and context.

"The second edition of Document Design is comprehensive and well-thought outIt offers readers current examples, and each chapter provides an integrated focus on accessibility and usability. Instructors will appreciate the end-of-chapter discussion activities for use in their classes, and students (undergraduate or graduate) will value the book's breadth and depth of document design topics and suggested additional readings … All in all, the second edition of Document Design: From Process to Product in Professional Communication is a must-have book for anyone entering the field of Information Design. Even seasoned design professionals will value replacing their first-edition copy for all the updates." — Communication Design Quarterly

"Document Design is the best intro to theory-informed practice in visual communication. This long-awaited refresh of a classic will help all instructors of visual communication breathe easier as we design courses aligned with its comprehensive contents. Don't try to teach visual communication without it!" — Kathryn Northcut, Missouri University of Science and Technology

"This book would be best for undergraduate students who are seeking to learn visual design in technical communication. However, it can also be used in a graduate course where students are introduced to document design theories and are given assignments to apply those theories in specific contexts. I have been waiting for a book like this to use in my courses." — Jason Tham, Texas Tech University

Miles A. Kimball is an independent scholar whose publications have been important in defining the field of technical and professional communication. He is coeditor, with Ross and Hilary Sarat-St. Peter, of the SUNY series, Studies in Technical Communication. Derek G. Ross is the Hargis Professor of Writing Studies in the Master of Technical and Professional Communication Program at Auburn University. He is the editor of Topic-Driven Environmental Rhetoric.