Designing Documents for Clarity and Accessibility

At the end of the course, you will be able to do the following:

• Explain key principles of effective document design and their role in enhancing clarity and accessibility.

• Apply graphic design principles, page layouts and typography to create visually coherent, readable and accessible documents.

• Use tables, charts, graphs and images to communicate information clearly and inclusively.

• Apply design elements, including typefaces and image formats, to enhance readability, accessibility, audience engagement and professional presentation

• Evaluate output processes (print and digital) to meet project goals, production constraints and accessibility requirements.
  

Prepare to spend 6–10 hours per week on coursework, including:

• Readings
• Discussions
• Exercises
• Assignments

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.

This course requires:

• High-speed internet access
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

To get the most from this course, you should be comfortable with the following MS Word and/or Google Docs functions:

• Adding headers, footers and hyperlinks
  
• Using and editing paragraph styles
  
• Creating and formatting lists and tables
  
• Tracking changes and accepting or rejecting changes
• Inserting a table of contents, media
  
• Creating a custom page size
  
• Sharing documents (Word / Google Docs)
• Resizing images
• Overlapping images and text

Assignments can also be completed using Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Adobe InDesign, or Canva.