Design and Production of Technical Publications

After completing this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe good design and how it applies to technical documents
• Apply the five guiding principles of effective graphic design
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the terminology, types and reasons for using grids for page layout
• Explain the history, terminology, classifications and components of typefaces
• Use tables, charts, graphs and other graphic elements
• Demonstrate your knowledge of image file formats, their terminology and their use
• Identify document structures, organization methods and binding
• Analyze different output processes (printing, electronic) and select the best one based on the project usage, budget, schedule, distribution and accessibility needs

• Prepare to spend 10–15 hours per week on coursework
• Expect reading, exercises and other assignments on a weekly basis
• Plan to access the course at least once every few days to keep up with your work and 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.