The psychology of layout: Consequences of the visual structure of documents

Using examples of implemented layout decisions, and from performance-based research on the effects that layout has on readers this paper proposes seven reasons why the layout of documents is important. These reasons range from economic to psychological. The importance of specific layout features will often differ for those generating documents from an information resource and for those seeking to capture existing documents. Many layout problems arise when documents are transferred across media (e.g. print to computer monitor to Personal Digital Assistant). The present discussion emphasises the value of maintaining a functional equivalence of layout features (e.g. visual grouping) rather than preserving formal identity (e.g. spacing). A prerequisite for doing this is an understanding of how layout feature