Rob Waller: writing

Over the years (mostly during the first part of my career which was spent as a researcher with the Open University) I have published various papers on information design. Every now and again someone is kind enough to request a copy of them, and it seemed a good idea to make them available on the web. I have scanned many of them in and you can download them from here.

	Waller RHW, 'Comparing typefaces for airport signs', Information Design Journal, vol 15: 1-15 Reports on multiple research methodologies combined to support the choice of a typeface for Heathrow Airport, using legibility research, a user survey and expert review.

2011	Waller R. Information design, architecture and making buildings readable. Eye 80, 90-91
	Waller R, What makes a good document? The criteria we use. Technical paper 2, Simplification Centre, University of Reading Explains the evidence and reasoning behind the evaluation criteria used by the Simplification Centre.
	Waller R & Waller J (forthcoming). Transformar las cartas del gobierno: el diseño y la redacción trabajando juntos. In Frascara, J. (ed.) ¿Qué es el diseño de información? Buenos Aires: Ediciones Infinito.
	Thomas M, Delin J, & Waller R, A corpus for graphic analysis of texts. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Discourse, Moissac, France (proceedings in press). Available as Technical paper 3, Simplification Centre, University of Reading. A conference paper, reporting on the building of a document corpus Ð a tagged database that can be used to study document design systematically. (Assumes some knowledge of applied linguistics).
	Waller R. Choosing a typeface for reading. Technical paper 9, Simplification Centre, University of Reading. Basic guidelines on typeface choice, answering questions we are sometimes asked.
	Waller R. Type size: interpreting the Clear Print standard. Technical paper 10, Simplification Centre University of Reading A commentary piece, initiating a debate about the Clear Print standard.
	Waller R. Improved letters about benefits: a case study. Technical paper 11, Simplification Centre, University of Reading A case study of document improvement.
2010	Waller R, Delin J, Towards a pattern language approach to document description, Multidisciplinary Approaches to Discourse, Moissac, France (proceedings in press). Available as Technical paper 4, Simplification Centre, University of Reading. A conference paper on design theory, based on Christopher Alexander's pattern language approach - identifies and names common design solutions.
	Waller R. The multimodal layout lessons of Rupert Bear. Eye 78.
2009	Waller RHW, 'Simplification: what is gained and what is lost'. In T. Porathe (Ed.). Applications of Information Design 2008: Selected papers from the international conference at Malardalen University in Eskilstuna, Sweden 25-28 June 2008. Eskilstuna: Malardalen University Press. ISBN: 978-91-86135-31-7. pages 219-230. Contrasts two approaches to the simplification of complex information: optimisation, which includes traditional interventions such as plain Engish and clear typography that improve but may not fundamentally change a given document; and transformation, which includes a range of more radical strategies such as distillation, layering and personalisation. Also republished as Technical paper 1, from the Simplification Centre, slightly modified (this is the version you can download from here).
2007	Waller RHW, 'Comparing typefaces for airport signs', Information Design Journal, vol 15: 1-15 Reports on multiple research methodologies combined to support the choice of a typeface for Heathrow Airport, using legibility research, a user survey and expert review.
2006	Delin J, Searle-Jones A, and Waller RHW , 'Branding and relationship communications: the evolution of utility bills in the UK' in S Carliner, JP Verckens and C de Waele (eds) Information and Document Design, Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 27-59. A theoretical and practical perspective on recent developments in bill design, showing how genres can shift in response to changing relationships between billers and customers, and changing production technologies.
2003	Waller RHW and Delin J, 'Cooperative brands: the importance of customer information for service brands', (276kb), Design Management Journal, 2003, vol 14, no 4, 63-69. Applies HP Grice's cooperative principle to multichannel communications.
2000	Waller RHW and Macdonald-Ross M, 'The Transformer revisited', (232kb), Information Design Journal, 2000, vol 9, 177-194 Revisits the 1976 paper The Transformer, in which we looked at the role envisaged by Otto Neurath and identified a knowledge base in a set of research disciplines related to information design.
1999	Waller RHW, 'Making connections: typography layout and language', (1.4Mb), Proceedings of the 1999 Autumn Symposium, American Association for Artificial Intelligence Examines issues of typographic genre and replays the central theme of my thesis for the benefit of the artificial intelligence/linguistics community who are looking at the extension of automated language generation into layout.
1997	Waller RHW, Clearer communication in financial document design, (760kb) Royal Mail, 1997 Practical guide to designing laser-printed bills and statements, commissioned by Royal Mail for their customers. Included by kind permission of Royal Mail.
1996	Waller RHW 'The origins of the IDA', Information Design Association Annual Report. Informal recollections about the early history of the Information Design Association.
1995	Waller R 'Information design: how the disciplines work together' presented at Vision Plus conference, Austria. Made available in 2011 as Simplification Centre Technical paper 14.Discusses the contribution of different disciplines to the information design curriculum, and the relationship between design and applied psychology.
1993	Waller RHW & Lewis DJ, 'Testing the effectiveness of information', The Communicator, January 1993. SImple guide to evaluating documents.
1991	Waller RHW, Designing reports and presentations, (500kb), Monotype Desktop Solutions, 1991 Part of a series of introductory guides to design, commissioned by Monotype in response to a new market for fonts introduced by the then new technology of desktop publishing. Included by kind permission of the Monotype Corporation.
	Waller RHW, Designing forms and catalogues, (500kb), Monotype Desktop Solutions, 1991 As above.
1990	Waller RHW, 'Typography and discourse', in R Barr et al (eds), Handbook of Reading Research, vol II, 1990, New York: Longman, 341-380. A shortened (but published) version of the genre theory contained in my thesis.
1987	Waller RHW, The typographic contribution to language, (2Mb), PhD thesis, 1987, University of Reading Department of Typography & Graphic Communication. A trawl through a range of relevant disciplines in search of an explanation of the role of typography in language. Concludes with a genre model. Most of my publications before this date effectively lead up to the thesis, and several since have reiterated it for different audiences - in short, I have very little else to say...
	Waller RHW and Whalley PC, 'Graphically organised prose', in E De Corte, H Lodewijks, R Parmentier and P Span (eds), Learning and instruction, 1987, Oxford: Pergamon Press, 369-381
	Waller RHW, 'Typography and reading strategy' in B Britton & S Glynn (eds), Executive control processes in reading, 1987, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
	Waller RHW, 'The design of print media'. Unit 23 of Open University course EH207: Communication and education. Part of Block 7: Literacy and the print media. See also the accompanying illustrated audio notes and transcript of interviews with designers and editors from the publishing firm Dorling Kindersley. Reading this again, I think it's still a useful introduction to a wide range of issues about the role of typography, diagramming and illustration in text.
1986	Waller RHW, 'What electronic books will have to be better than', Information Design Journal, 1986, vol 5, number 1, 72-75. Written in the early days of hypertext, and long before the web, this short paper anticipates what could be lost should we abandon paper without understanding that it does more than carry words.
1985	Duffy TM and Waller RHW (eds), Designing Usable Texts, 1985, Orlando, Florida: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-223260-7. This edited collection included important contributions by authors such as David Olson, Patricia Wright, Michael Twyman, and others.
	Schumacher GM and Waller RHW, 'Testing design alternatives: a comparison of procedures' in TM Duffy and R Waller (eds) Designing Usable Texts, 1985, Orlando, Florida: Academic Press.
	Waller RHW, 'Diagrams as information design', Icographic, 1985, vol 2, no 6, 12-14. Reprinted in Tools (Denmark), February (1986)
	Waller RHW, 'Using typography to structure arguments', in D Jonassen (ed), The Technology of Text, Volume 2, 1985, New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications.
1984	Waller RHW, 'Tourist guides: a consumer test', Information Design Journal, 1984, vol 4, 154-160.
	Waller RHW, 'Designing government forms: a case study' (1.9Mb), Information Design Journal, 1984, vol 4, 36-57.
	Waller RHW, 'Darwin's finches - a case study in criticism and alternatives' in M Nathenson and E Henderson (eds), Independent Learning in Higher Education, 1984, New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications.
1982	Waller RHW, Lefrere P and Macdonald-Ross M, 'Do you need that second color?', l982, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 1982, vol 25, 80-85.
	Waller RHW, 'Text as diagram: using typography to improve access and understanding', in D Jonassen (ed), The Technology of Text, 1982, New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications.
	Waller RHW, 'Journal typography in transition', Journal of Research Communication Studies, 1982, vol 3, 335-350.
1981	Waller RHW, 'Norman Potter's "What is a designer?" - an essay review' (2Mb), Information Design Journal, l981, vol 2, 97-102. Norman Potter's book, first published in 1969, made a considerable impact on me as a first year design student. Reviewing it on its republication in 1981, I found it confusing, frustrating, and challenging but important
	Waller RHW and Lefrere P, 'New technologies in academic publishing', Teaching at a Distance, 1981, no 19, 32-39. Well, they were new then.
1980	Waller RHW, 'Numbering systems in text', in J Hartley (ed), The Psychology of Written Communication, 1980, London: Kogan Page.
	Waller RHW, 'Dimension of quality in educational texts', in J Hartley (ed), The Psychology of Written Communication, 1980, London: Kogan Page.
	Lefrere P, Waller RHW and Whalley PC, 'Expert systems for educational technology', in R Winterburn (ed), Aspects of Educational Technology, 1980, London: Kogan Page.
	Waller RHW, 'Graphic aspects of complex texts: typography as macropunctuation', in P Kolers, M Wrolstad and H Bouma (eds), Processing of Visible Language, 1980, vol 2, New York: Plenum Press.
1979	Waller RHW, 'Typographic access structures for educational texts', in P Kolers, M Wrolstad and H Bouma (eds), Processing of Visible Language, 1979, vol 1, New York: Plenum Press.
	Waller RHW, 'Functional information design: research and practice' (400k), Information Design Journal, 1979, vol 1, 43-50. A call for more effective dialogue and mutual respect among designers and researchers.
	Waller RHW, 'Four aspects of graphic communication: an introduction to this issue', (600k), Instructional Science, 1979, vol 8, 213-222. In this introduction to a special issue, I explored the idea of splitting the traditional Shannon-Weaver communication model into separate relationships between writer and text, and reader and text, later developed in my thesis.
	Duchastel P and Waller RHW, 'Pictorial illustration in instructional texts', Educational Technology, 1979, vol 19, 20-25.
1977	Waller, RHW, Notes on Transforming, Numbers 1, 2, 3 & 7. These were occasional papers published over a period of time, in support of an effort to establish the transformer role within the Open University. They represent early thinking about design for strategic reading, and about design methods, and some specific issues such as colour. Numbers 4 and 5 were published in Hartley (1980) and Number 7 was adapted and published as Waller, Lefrere & Macdonald-Ross (1982). Number 6 seems to be lost.
1976	Macdonald-Ross M and Waller RHW, 'The transformer', Penrose Annual, 1976, vol 69, 1 This paper set out an agenda for an information design informed by other disciplines. It promoted the Isotype Institute's term 'transformer' as the text equivalent of the TV producer – mediating between content experts and media technicians. We managed to the get the term used in the Open University's community education programme, and for a while at the Natural History Museum. See the 2000 reprint with retrospective comments.
	Waller RHW, 'Typography for graphic communication', Talk given to the Kapp Circle of the Institute forScientific and Technical Communication, May 1976 Reading this again after 30 years it is frightening how little my thought has progressed.
1975	Macdonald-Ross M. and Waller RHW, 'Criticism, alternatives and tests: A conceptual framework for improving typography?', Programmed Learning and Educational Technology, 1975 vol 12, 75-83. Although published in what is now a very obscure place, this paper addressed the relationship of research and practice. It called on researchers to use methodologies that respect and use the tacit knowledge of expert designers.