{"id":5057,"date":"2020-06-07T16:27:32","date_gmt":"2020-06-07T20:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/?page_id=5057"},"modified":"2021-03-20T21:29:32","modified_gmt":"2021-03-21T01:29:32","slug":"hats-a-design-procedure-for-routine-business-documents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/online\/hats-a-design-procedure-for-routine-business-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"HATS: Design for Professional\/Technical Documents
H<\/span>EADINGS \u25aa A<\/span>CCESS \u25aa T<\/span>YPOGRAPHY \u25aa S<\/span>PACE<\/div>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Contents & Navigation<\/div>\n
overview<\/a><\/div>\n
headings<\/a><\/div>\n
topic vs. talking<\/a><\/div>\n
more on headings<\/a><\/div>\n
access<\/a><\/div>\n
typography<\/a><\/div>\n
type<\/a><\/div>\n
alignment<\/a><\/div>\n
space<\/a><\/div>\n
summary<\/a><\/div>\n
one more thing<\/a><\/div>\n
all research & reports \u232a<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Information based on and adapted from Baker, William H. “HATS: A Design Procedure for Routine Business Documents.” Business Communication Quarterly <\/em>64.2 (2001): 65-76.<\/div>\n

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<\/span>\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Overview<\/h3>\n

One of the most common mistaken notions novice professional writers hold is the idea that readers will approach their writing chronologically, reading the entire document from beginning to end.<\/p>\n

In professional arenas, audiences are comprised of different readers, different needs, and different approaches to reading. Upper management may read documents for conclusions and recommendations, accountants may read documents for the budget sections, and lawyers may read documents for the backgrounds and methods. Because professional contexts have various audiences with various needs and interests, professional writers must create documents that are easy to navigate, easy to understand, and serve the needs of all potential audiences. These documents are sometimes known as \u201cmodular documents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professional writers can use “HATS” to create modular documents that are easy to navigate, access, and understand. While we’re familiar with making documents rhetorically<\/em> effective, HATS is a set of considerations for making documents visually<\/em> effective.<\/p>\n

<\/span>\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n

H<\/span>eadings<\/h3>\n
material in this section also included in Professional Reports<\/a><\/div>\n
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Headings are standard features of technical documents that serve several important functions:<\/p>\n