[Framers] Question about differentiating heading levels

[Steve Rickaby]

There are a number of ways to delineate heading levels. The general rule is that they should be:

a. Clear

b. Beautiful ;-)

It's real easy to create an ugly design. It's real hard to create a beautiful one - which is why there are folks called graphic designers. For those of us who aren't (such as me), I've often found it useful to look for suitable commercial designs and then emulate them. I don't mean copy, but extract the underlying principles. Your eye will tell you what looks right and what look weird.

You can use:

. Font size (as has already been said)

. Space above/below - generally more space above the higher the heading level, less below the lower.

. Font style - I don't like this, but I have seen it done, for example with italics or condensed

. Side-head for major hearings, run-in for minor

. Side-head for major hearings, in-column for minor

. Numbered vs unnumbered headings, if the design calls for it

. Suitable widgets/graphics

Apologies if I am repeating what others have said: no coffee yet this lovely morning in SW UK. 

I do have a concern over more than three heading levels, although I know sometimes a fourth level is necessary. More than three levels makes the structure hard for the reader to follow. H5? Maybe better to use bullet lists or tables?

As Tammy says, though, we are often constrained by existing/client-specific document designs and/or entrenched thinking - no matter how ghastly ;-)

-- 
Steve