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CUAJ redesign

ments of the manuscript instantly. A helpful articulation modern, and more useful design to freshen CUAJ. Hot
of these principles comes from designer and author take perhaps, but I think formatted, static documents
Robin Williams. To avoid crappy design, think CRAP: will remain users’ preference despite software and
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contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. Contrast screens’ ability to enrich with multimedia, annotation,
in our case means differentiating titles, subheadings, and and selective disclosure of information. Having all of the
larger elements like author names and abstracts, and information in front of you risks bafflement, but with
adding subtle backgrounds within tables to showcase these described design choices and principles, naviga-
different parts of the paper. Repetition means unity tion is easy, and comprehensiveness becomes a boon
between like elements, here most obviously section rather than a hassle.
headings and subheadings to ease scanning. Alignment Like any good paper, we must highlight limitations
speaks to the full justification of the text, as well as (in this case concessions). Surely, 20-point text would
keeping titles and callouts aligned with other elements be more legible for all accessibility levels, but only
to avoid visual disquiet. Proximity means subtle separa- at the per-word level. We strike a balance between
tion of the last line of a section from the header and words-per-line and text size that allows flow when
first line of the next section, as well as the bundling of reading. Uniform contrast levels might avoid jarring
all the separate elements (similar to contrast). For all effects to some eyes. Designing every element from
designers, these are fundamental choices whose com- an accessibility-only perspective would yield a Voltron
bination gives the overall feel and flow unique to each much less usable for the huge majority of readers, and
journal or imprint. an aesthetic imbroglio akin to The Homer, which sank
Using these principles, in addition to the aesthetic Powell Motors in 1991.
choices of color and typeface, makes for more readable, Welcome to this new chapter for CUAJ. We hope
usable papers. Readers can move more quickly to the you like the look and feel, and perhaps some new
elements of the paper they wish to access and move insight into how they arise.
about the paper without the extraneous load of clut-
tered, misaligned, or ambiguous formatting. Choosing REFERENCE
narrower columns and a lighter type also increases 1. Robin Williams. The Non-Designer’s Design Book, 4th Ed. (Berkeley, California: Peachpit
white space, which is both visually less cluttered than Press, 2014).
the prior design and gives you space for your thumbs CORRESPONDENCE: Dr. Michael Leveridge, Department of Urology,
when you’re poring over paper after paper (as we all Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Michael.Leveridge@kingstonhsc.ca
do). Overall, we think we’ve achieved a handsome,

8 CUAJ • FEBRUARY 2023 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2