Designing publications Guidance and recommendations Designing publications Guidance and recommendations ii © World Health Organization 2014. All rights reserved. This information product is intended for a restricted audience only. It may not be The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not reviewed, abstracted, quoted, reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated or imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization adapted, in part or in whole, in any form of by any means. in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part initial capital letters. of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, The World Health Organization does not warrant that the information contained territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its in this information product is complete and correct and shall not be liable for any frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate borderlines damages incurred as a result of its use. for which there may not yet be full agreement. iii Contents Elements of design 1 1. Formats 6 4. Colours 22 1.1 Standard paper format 6 4.1 Colour combinations 23 Elements of clarity 2 1.2 Nature of the information 7 TIPS on colours 25 1.3 Target audience 7 Introduction 4 TIPS on formats 9 5. Illustrations 26 5.1 Figures 26 2. Covers 10 5.2 Tables 27 2.1 Front cover 10 5.3 Boxes 27 2.2 Back cover 11 5.4 Maps 28 2.3 Logo 11 5.5 Photographs 29 TIPS on covers 13 TIPS on visuals 32 3. Inside pages 14 6. Bibliography 34 3.1 Margins, white spaces 14 3.2 Grid structure 14 3.3 Text: font, alignement 16 3.4 Text: headlines 17 TIPS on inside pages 20 1 Elements of design © Wordle by Jonathan Feinberg 2 Elements of clarity The challenge in designing any publication is to present The key to proper design is a consistent approach to the large amounts of information in a way that is accurate, display of information that enhances its accuracy, ease of concise, adequate for the purpose and easy to understand. comprehension and dissemination. Contrast is another That challenge relates not only to displays of statistical tool that can draw your reader’s attention to important information, but also to any type of display – even plain text. elements. Contrasting fonts, shapes, colours, etc. can help structure and highlight information. Use the design to enhance the reader’s understanding See how your publication should appear FORMAT, GRID – Once the appropriate page format for your publication is Front cover and inside front cover set, apply a construction grid made of columns and rows to organize and Preliminary pages have lower-case Roman page numbers align the various elements: type area, margins, illustrations and white space. * Title page WH ITE spACES – They allow the reader’s eyes to rest and concentrate on * Copyright + disclaimer + cataloging (behind title page) important information. * Table of contents (list of chapters, figures and tables) TEXts – Use either left-aligned or justified texts. Do not use centred or right- * Foreword or Preface aligned texts: reserve them for rare cases. * Acknowledgements FO NTS – When in doubt with fonts, use Minion Pro (body text) and Myriad * List of contributors Pro (headlines), which are good choices. Use only a couple of different fonts * List of abbreviations and a few different font sizes: this will structure your information better. * Executive summary CO LOURS – Colours are important, but the use of too many different colours Main pages have Arabic page numbers can be distracting and can make text very hard to read. Define a colour * Chapters scheme from the colour wheel. * References or bibliography ILL USTRAT ONS – Show figures, tables, graphs, maps and photos that are * Annexes appropriate for the topic, with appropriate resolution. Inside back cover and back cover BACK COVER – LOGO FRONT COVER – BAR CODE + ISBN SPINE – TITLE TITLE PAGE 3 – ILLUSTRATION(S) INSIDE FRONT COVER, – LOGO BLANK PAGE – TITLE – LOGO BACK TITLE PAGE CONTENTS – CATALOGING – COPYRIGHT FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – DISCLAIMER OR i PREFACE LIST EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – CONTRIBUTORS iii OR iv – ABBREVIATIONS BLANK PAGE INTRODUCTION v … vi … END OF CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 … vii – – REFERENCES ANNEXES – OR 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY 48 LAST PAGE OR INSIDE BACK COVER, 49 BLANK PAGE BLANK PAGE 56 57 64 4 Introduction Article 2 of the World Health Organization (WHO) Constitution requests the Organization, among other functions, to: • provide information, counsel and assistance in the field of health; and • assist in developing an informed public opinion among all peoples on matters of health. Guidance on Accessible Publishing WHO WHO publications must present accurate, well-written at WHO and clear public health information. If your publication is professionally designed and user-friendly, then it will be WHO easier to get your message across. style guide SecOnd editiOn Designing publications has been created for staff members and designated designers working for the WHO Western Pacific Region on materials produced by the Regional Office. World Health Organization It aims to improve the quality of publications and deliver Visual identity guidelines a consistent visual design across the Region. How to use the WHO logo This guide presents best practices and is based on the combination of existing WHO guidance, including the WHO Style guide, WHO Visual identity guidelines, WHO Design and print it right, Guidance on Accessible Publishing at WHO and some basic manuals on design. 5 Even though WHO works in six official languages, not all Basic rules individuals or groups to whom the information is addressed are fluent in those languages. Applying the rules shown in Approved manuscripts submitted to the Publications unit the “please, do” and “do not” sections of this guide will (PUB) for layout and design must include the following: allow the main message to stand out. • Edited text – Ensure that the Word document submitted This guide and its companion “Quick guide on the publication for layout has been edited according to the WHO Style process” encourage staff members to think about what they guide, revised to address the editor’s queries and want to accomplish and what they want to communicate. comments, and approved by the appropriate responsible It can serve as a checklist of the main issues and most officer. Please keep it simple, design will be done later. important points to consider when preparing a publication. • Appropriate illustrations – Ensure that the files are in high It is also a guide for graphic designers to help them create resolution (300 dpi in their final size), in acceptable (TIFF, designs that will enhance the reader’s appreciation and JPEG, EPS) and original (Excel) formats. If copyrighted understanding. Every decision made in the layout – on materials are to be used, ensure that appropriate format, margins, typefaces, colours, etc. – should be permission has been obtained. deliberate, based on the guidance in this document, and • Regional Office logo – Ensure that the Regional Office have a reason behind it. Think about how your document will logo occupies a clear position and stands out. compare against others when it will be displayed on a shelf In an effort to provide explicit guidance, we have drawn best or on a screen. practices from the basics of graphic design, with examples This guide will be a “living” document that will be updated showing what works and why. These best practices are regularly. summarized in the “TIPS” sections. In addition, several After all, design is all about communication. examples appear in this guide, offering more in-depth information about particular topics. Some recommendations in this guide are intended for authors, others for designers, but do not forget that good design requires time: time to plan, be creative and do the work. 6 1. Formats The way information is presented often influences whether or not documents will be read and understood. Readers A8 begin to identify a document by its physical appearance: A7 A6 A4 A2 format, size and apparent complexity. They will already have recognized different kinds of information before they begin A5 to read the text. So, the first step before starting production of an information A3 product is to agree with the designer on a final format. Unless the document is part of an existing series, the dimensions of the document will depend on the nature of the information it contains and its target audience. A1 1.1 Standard paper formats The international standard A0 paper size is defined to have an area of 1 m2. The successive paper sizes in the A series: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, etc. are defined by halving the preceding paper size across the larger dimension. Note: by convention, the first number defines the width, the second one the height. 7 The more frequently used formats 1.3 Target audience • The A4 format (21 cm x 29.7 cm) is used in a portrait The specific sector of the public to which an information orientation. It tends to be the international standard paper product is targeted plays a decisive role in the choice of size that is used in most countries today. the format, as well as how this target audience will use the • US Letter (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm) and 8” x 10” document. (20.32 cm x 25.4 cm) are also formats in common use. • Will it be used for workshops and training courses? • The A5 format (21 cm x 14.8 cm) can be used in both • Is it intended for the general public? orientations, portrait or landscape.