Agroforestry Extension Resources

Some suggestions on design

TEXT
There are some good examples of simple and clear text, but also several where text layout is daunting. Care should be taken to present text in a way that is easily viewed and read. Word wrapping should be ideally done where there is a break in meaning. Good examples can be found in some of the FAO "Better Farming" series (eg ( A011 ).

ILLUSTRATIONS
The quality and extent of illustrations in the resources was variable, and less extensive than might be hoped, mainly because good artists are harder to find than good authors. Some of the best illustrations were black and white line drawings. One resource was dedicated to making copyright-free illustrations more readily available ( A046 ).

FORMAT
Most printed documents were produced in "portrait" format of differing proportions. However, a few used "landscape" format which seemed to be more suitable, for several reasons:

• It is easier to open and spread out the document - more attractive and less daunting for the reader.
• There is more flexibility in laying out text and graphics (very suitable for "phrase profiled" text format)
• Many illustrations are often in landscape format, and enlarging to a full-page spread, if required, is easy.
• If each document is to be digitised, it is more compatible with electronic projection or display on a computer monitor.
• If the document can be designed on computer, presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint) can be easily used to lay out the text and images, and printed out directly in the normal landscape format used for presentations.
• Additionally, it is easy to prepare both printed versions and summary electronic presentation of the same document.

An interesting example of the use of landscape format, with illustrations only, using PowerPoint as a tool, is at A003