The visual development of documents

Information processing theory is applied to documents to analyze the visual processing of the page. Research on readers´ perceptions of graphic characteristics and spatial organization is examined. A method is presented that increases the efficiency of developing and using a document by applying information processing principles and research on perception. It is concluded that, by applying principles of information theory, the semiology of graphic characteristics, and reader´s spatial perception of the page, the desktop publisher can develop visually efficient documents, improving not only the reader´s comprehension of the document but also the document development process