Instructional Materials & Activity Page Design

Making Instructional Materials as a Promotion? Things to Consider…

Activity sheets, instructional materials and worksheets allow us to invite the reader to interact with the book or institution and collaborate with the design. Here are a few things to consider when creating them:

Does the design support its overall purpose?

Is the author encouraging deeper reading? A clean design is worth considering. Is the worksheet intended to spur creativity? A livelier, more imaginative treatment could work. If the worksheet is a promotional piece, does the design of the worksheet clearly relate to the title? Using fonts and colors from the book cover, and picking up illustrations from the book thoughtfully will tie in your promotion.

Are the instructional materials easy to use?

There should be generous space for writing or drawing. Will the activity sheet be downloaded and printed by a reader? If so, it should be easy to print at home or school: the overall color coverage shouldn’t be too dense and the margins should be wide.

Who will use these materials?

Children and adults will have different needs and tastes. Font style and size should be appropriate to the age group and setting.