The authors examine 77 books and articles relating to screen design, identify available guidelines, and then provide a framework for their use. The guidelines are sorted into the categories of typography, graphical images, color, animation, and audio. The authors also provide a set of integrative guidelines which examine the overall visual effect of the screen. Guidelines on typography provide advice on font, screen layout, and contrast. They also consider the use of signals and cueing.
Signals are things like titles and headings.
Cues involve accentuating single words, phrases, or paragraphs. The legibility of text with letters in mixed case, i.e., with capitals only used for indicating the first letter of a sentence, a name, etc., is higher than for letters in upper case only. All upper case characters should be used only occasionally, and for the purposes of emphasis. Simple images are more effective for instruction than complex images. Color is also useful for manipulating attention.