Table 1.
Design preferences and principles used in the PEM redesign
| Applied user preferences | Applied principles by Wong and colleagues [10, 19–37] | Designer contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Layout | Software knowledge |
| - Page length kept to two pages | - Practical application of the golden section guide for grid layout | - Created document in Adobe Illustrator |
| - List of references on the third page removed (can be accessed online) | - Use of grid to determine placement of objects and text in order to build stability into the design | Simple design |
| - Paragraphs shortened by removing unnecessary words and breaking into shorter paragraphs | - Planning of the journey the reader’s eye will follow across the PEM to make it clear what is to be read first, second, etc. | - Helped create a simple and visually attractive design |
| Layout | - Framing of objects in ample white space to highlight importance | - Selected limited color scheme |
| - Content clustered into small groups | - Making objects visually different from others to highlight importance | Layout |
| - Content numbered where appropriate (see Advisories box) | Gestalt principles | - Applied golden section guide to create a grid layout for effective placement of text and objects |
| - Bolded and detailed headings that explain section content | - Grouping of objects by similarity and proximity | - Used white space to draw attention to important sections |
| Simple design | - Grouping objects with enclosures | Graphics |
| - Limited number of sections, graphics, and images | - Use of geometric shapes as alignment guides to create unified compositions | - Created stethoscope graphic to draw attention to the conclusions |
| - White space for visual appeal | - Using a grid to create alignment and help the reader identify patterns | - Created email and internet graphics to reduce text and increase visual appeal |
| - Limited color schemes | - Use of a grid to guide composition to create a clean and professional look | |
| - Clear division between sections | White space | |
| Visibility and accessibility of topic | - Use of white space to improve visual appeal and effectiveness of figures | |
| - Topic and title bold and clear at top of the PEM | - Enclosing images and text in “boxes” of white space to ensure good distribution of positive and negative space | |
| Key messages and highlighting of key points | - Use of small and large gaps of white space between sections to differentiate and group information | |
| - Key messages outlined below title | - Emphasizing important content with relatively more of available white space to attract the reader’s attention | |
| - Limited highlighting in text to ensure effect of main points is not reduced | Salience | |
| Text density and busyness | - Creating salience by using shape, color, and position on the page | |
| - Reduced clutter with spacing, bullet points, organized content, and structured layout | ||
| - Removed unnecessary text to reduce text density | ||
| Use of bullets and point form | ||
| - Used bullets and point form instead of paragraphs where appropriate | ||
| Color | ||
| - Used color that prints well in black and white | ||
| - Used color coding to match tables to text | ||
| - Used color conservatively to maintain professional appearance and reduce distraction | ||
| Font size | ||
| - Attempted to make font as large as possible to ensure there was white space and content fit on two pages | ||
| Logos and developing organization’s name | ||
| - Included Therapeutics Initiative logo on a smaller scale at the top of the PEM | ||
| - Included University of British Columbia logo at the end of PEM | ||
| - Removed unidentifiable logo |