The main theme of the articles that I’ve read for this entry seem to center around the topic of consistency. Keeping a document within a style guide and specific font seems to be something that is necessary for the readability and personality of a document. As pointed out by Hudak-David (2003) in a general sense, is that sometimes the editing that a book goes through turns out to be necessary but sometimes it can hurt. Within a style guide point of view, this can mean making sure everything is exactly as it should be, as defined by the company or the group of editors that are writing.
However, when considering the type of fonts and things that are used within a document, people should be aware of the difference between serif and non-serif fonts. Serif fonts, such as those with little edges on the tops and especially bottoms of the letters (like Times New Roman), are seen in writing that is considered to be more formal, while non-serif fonts are used in average items that are meant to be seen in everyday use.
Fonts in general, as shown by Brumberger (2003) tend to have a sort of perception behind them that can influence how the style guide is perceived, such as using country stereotypical fonts to show a sort of national influence. She brings a good point to the argument, by showing that typefaces have personality to them and should be used carefully when deciding on a font to represent an entire document. Simple and sleek fonts could seem to have an almost impersonal feel to them that could be off-putting (subconsciously) to the reader.
When implementing a style guide on top of that, the documents could seem very robotic if they’re written in that impersonal style. The meaning can then be affected and show that not much thought was put into customer consideration. People are judging, without maybe realizing it, the layout and content of a document. By using a style guide that is put in place throughout the document, you can at least standardize their opinions as they go through a document, such as a collection of articles or a book with chapters. It would be highly unsettling if the author changed fonts and style with every chapter.
Style Guides do improve the readability and accessibility of a document, that much is true. But how about the workflow of the individuals working on it? As mentioned by Hawley (2004) while reviewing the book “Read Me First!” and subsequent editions, we are often collaborating with multiple authors at the same time and having a style book or a guide in general is helpful for making sure that everyone is on the same page and doesn’t do as they please but rather work as cogs of the same machine. When considering the style of a document and looking at how the documents are formatted, nothing is more important than the consistency of a single document, that of which holds everything together.
We need to be conscious of a variety of sources when they’re all contributing to the same document. Although it would be convenient if the entire document was written by the same person, thus keeping every aspect of the document the same, it’s highly unlikely this will be case. The style guide are the only way to keep everything looking equally acceptable, even if the content itself doesn’t hold the same value.
Many first impressions are based on first looks and this is no difference with the implementation of a style guide, whatever it may be, including the type of font used. As Bright (2005) makes an excellent overall point, we save time and money when we have a specific guide for people to follow who are working together on a single document. Inconsistencies, particularly in the look and feel of a document, tends to call attention to the professionalism of the company that is producing the documents. With a style guide in place, we don’t have anything to question and things are made that much easier for everyone. This is a consensus that is seen by many style guides, after looking at a variety of websites and books to evaluate their own style guides.
In general, I’ve learned that style guides fully affect the entire presentation of the document, from first perceptions to the general overall reading of the document. Documents with visual consistency, even if the consistency is just at face value, are better off and tend to save money and time for everyone involved. I’ve also learned that the value of a style guide makes consumers question the document and the company’s professionalism much less than if everything is just thrown together in everyone’s various styles. Moral of the story? Have a style guide and everything will be easier. As shown with our website, it makes everything look professional and like it all fits together!