Memo Reports -and- Designing Documents, Slides, and Screens

1. Memo Reports -and- Designing Documents, Slides, and Screens

2. Memo Reports: Overview • What is a Memo Report? • What is it about? • What is it like? • Contents: Introduction, Body, Conclusion, End • Sample Introduction

3. What is the difference? • Letter Report • An informal report mailed to a colleague or client outside your office • Printed on letterhead and physically signed • Memo Report • An informal report printed, duplicated or emailed for a colleague or supervisor within your company • Often duplicated or sent electronically

4. What is a memo report about? • Progress on a project, especially as regards a specific portion • Results of one portion of a project • Results that may affect the remainder of a project • Results that require a response before a project can move forward • Results of a small project

5. Characteristics • Contains 3-5 pages • Contains 0-3 tables or figures • Contains no separate sections • Does not provide a written background or theoretical basis • Contains no nomenclature section • Defines symbols as they are introduced • Provides only the most pertinent equations • Does not contain a“Literature Cited” list at the end

6. Characteristics, continued • Concise Writing • choose words carefully • avoid repetition

7. Contents: Address Memorandum Title • To: CC: • Make sure you include everyone! • From: • Date: • RE: Title • CHEN4903(1)F07 Memo Rpt 1 Tm 1 • Cc: • No Salutation (Dear: )

8. Contents: Introduction Introductory paragraph/s • Contains a brief explanation of the experiment and its objective, but does not delve into details already known by the recipient (like where the lab is, who gave the assignment, etc.) • Provides a summary of the results

9. Contents: Body Body paragraph/s • Describes pertinent equipment • Narrates important points of procedure • Explains problems encountered • Provides an analysis and discussion of results

10. Contents: Conclusion Closing paragraph/s • Makes recommendations based on the discussion • Clear reasoning must explain why you are making the recommendations and conclusions you make • Contains references as footnotes (provide publication information in footnote)

11. Sample Introduction During the period from January 6 to January 27, 1992, the members of Group F calibrated and evaluated the performance of an Omega Model HX93V relative-humidity and temperature transmitter (Omega Engineer, Stamford Connecticut). The transmitter was calibrated with an Omega HX92-CAL relative-humidity calibration kit, and its accuracy was tested with various solutions of ethylene glycol and water ranging from 10% to 100% relative humidity (RH). The transmitter was accurate to within 5% RH at higher relative humidities (>50%) but was not accurate to within 5% RH at humidities lower than 50%. The transmitter's performance in a moving airstream at temperatures greater than room temperature was also investigated. A cardboard tube and an air blower containing a heating element supplied a suitable stream of heated air. A brief summary of the calibration and the results of our performance evaluation follow.

12. Contents: End Matter After the endnotes (appendix) • Background tables or figures • Raw data • Calculations • Error analysis

13. Designing Documents, Slides, and Screens

14. Design: Part of Writing Think about design at each step • As you plan, think about readers • Skilled or poor? • Straight through or skip around? • As you write, use lists, headings • Get feedback from your audience • As you revise, check following 8 design guides

15. Why Design Matters • Creating inviting, easy to read pages makes it more likely that your document will be read and understood • Grouping ideas visually shows structure • Good design also: • Saves time and money • Reduces legal problems • Builds goodwill

16. 8 Page Design Guides • Use white space • Use headings • Limit words in ALL CAPITALS • Use no more than 2 fonts per document

17. 8 Page Design Guides, continued • Justify margins selectively • Put key items at top left or bottom right • Use a grid for visual unity • Limit attention-getters: bold, bullets, colors

18. Use White Space • Makes message easier to read • To create white space, use— • Headings • Mix of paragraph lengths • Lists of parallel items • Use bullets • Use numbers instead of bullets when order matters

19. Use Headings Headings - words, phrases, or sentences • Group points; divide document • Show organization • Help readers; save readers’ time • Make page look more interesting

20. Limit Words in ALL CAPITALS • We recognize words by shape • Words in ALL CAPITALS • Have same rectangular shape • Often lack ascenders and descenders • Causes reader to slow down • Causes more reading errors

21. Use 1or 2Typefaces—No More • Typeface– unified styles of type • Serif typeface– letters havefeet • Easy to read; used for paragraphs • Ex:Courier New, Times New Roman • Sansserif typeface – letters lack feet • Harder to read; used for headings, tables • Ex:Arial, Tahoma, Verdana

22. Use 1 or 2Fonts, continued • Fixed Fonts – every letter takes up the same amount of space • typewriter fonts are fixed • Ex:Courier, Monaco • Proportional Fonts – wider letters take up more space than narrower letters • most computer typefaces are proportional • Ex:Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial

23. Use 1 or 2 Fonts, continued • Some documents use just one font BoldItalicsVaried sizes • Font size • 12-point: good for readers over 40 (and many under 40, too) • 11-point: ideal for memos, letters, reports • headings may, and often should, be larger • 10-point: often too small

24. Justify Margins Selectively Full justification – text even at left and right margin • Want formal look • Writing to skilled readers • Using proportional font • Want to use fewest pages Use in these cases

25. Justify Margins Selectively, continued Left justification– text even on left, uneven on right • Want informal look • Use very short lines • Writing to less-skilled readers • Not using proportional font • Want to revise selected pages Use in these cases

26. Put Key Items at Top Left or Bottom Right • Readers’ eyes move in Z pattern • Starts at upper left corner of page • Reads to the right and down • Quadrants in order of importance • Top left • Bottom right • Bottom left • Top right 1 2

27. Use a Grid for Visual Unity • Grid – 2or 3 imaginary columns on page; may be subdivided • All elements lined up in columns • Creates pleasing symmetry • Unifies long documents

28. Designing Presentation Slides • Use a big font • 44to50point for titles • 32point for subheads • 28point for examples • Use bullet-point phrases, notsentences • Use clear, concise language

29. Designing Presentation Slides, continued • Make only 3 to 5 points per slide • Customize your slides logo  photo  chart • Use animation to control flow, build interest Too much distracts the audience

30. Final Design Tips • Limit attention getters • Test designs on actual audiences

31. Limit Attention-Getters • Addinterest with dingbats, clip art • Dingbats–small pieces of line art  • Clip art – larger images inserted in text • Use “highlighters” sparingly

32. Limit Attention-Getters, continued • Create unified look— • Repeat text color in bullets, lines • Use same colors throughout • Make text, background contrast • Use glossy paper for vividcolors • Note, colors look brighter on screen than on paper

33. In North America, red means danger Text colors for readers under 50 Limit Attention-Getters: Color • Limit colors to 4 per page—2main colors, 2 accents • Use color for main headings, not details • Blue • Green • Violet

34. 3Design Tests • Watch someone use document to do a task • Ask reader to think aloud during task • Interrupt at key points to find out what reader thinks • Ask reader to describe thought process afterwards • Ask reader to put +and -signs in margins to show likes and dislikes