List-Making the Effective Way | Microsoft Word Version 2002 Inside Out (Inside Out (Microsoft))

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Like its predecessors, Word 2002 includes automated features that make creating lists a fairly simple process. Within that process, however, you have a number of choices to make—and some quirks to navigate around.

Throughout this chapter, both bulleted and numbered lists are referred to simply as lists, because they behave the same way. When you choose a bullet, of course, you're using a special symbol, character, or graphic to start the text line. When you use a number, you're selecting the font, size, and color of the numeral you want to use. In addition, you can use roman numerals, letters, and other line identifiers in numbered lists (a technique covered later in this chapter in the section "Improving Numbered Lists").

When Bullets Work

Word gives you the capacity to create bulleted lists with a number of different looks. You can change the character that leads off the item; you can change color; you can change indents. You can place bulleted lists side by side in a multi-column format, if you choose. Here are some guidelines to remember when you create bulleted lists:

Be concise. Fewer words make a bigger impact. Unless you must include paragraphs of text for each bullet item, pare your prose down to fewer than three sentences if you can.
Stick to the point. A general rule is "one point, one bullet." Don't try to cram more than one idea into each bullet item.
Be clear. Flowery language isn't necessary—clear and simple is best.
Don't overdo it. Bullets can be so much fun (and easier than big blocks of text) that you might be tempted to use them liberally throughout your document. Resist the temptation to over-bulletize your work and use them only when they bring clarity to your content.
Choose a bullet that makes sense. If your report is about a new model of fishing boat your company is manufacturing, would baby-bottle bullet characters really make sense? Probably not. Be sure to fit the bullet characters you choose with the style and expectation of your audience.
Don't use too many at once. Research shows that the average Web page visitor moves on after seven seconds, and logic says that the average reader tunes out after too many steps or bullets. Don't make your lists burdensome for your readers. Say what you need to say in five to seven bullet points and move back to paragraph style.

Tip - Bullet them in any order

Bullets are ideal for those times when you want to convey short, to-the-point pieces of information. The fact that you use bullets instead of numbers implies to your reader that the points can be read and applied in any order; there's no necessary sequence in a bulleted list.

When Numbers Matter

Whether you need numbered lists in your documents will be determined by the type of work you create. If you're writing a how-to manual on fly-fishing, you might have quite a few numbered steps, explaining important steps like preparing equipment, finding the right spot, and setting up for your first cast. If you're creating a marketing plan with a timeline and an action sequence, your steps will define a process that builds a bigger promotions system. Whatever the purpose of your numbered list, you can make sure it's most effective in these ways:

Remember the white space. Whether you're working with bulleted or numbered lists, the white space in your document is as important as the text on the page—it might be a humbling statement, but it's true. White space gives your readers' eyes a rest, so don't crowd your list items together too closely.
Use numbers that fit your style. In an upbeat publication, you might want to use specialty numbers or a casual font with oversized numbers. In a more serious piece, you'll want the numbers you select to carry a more professional tone.
Alignment matters. Similar to the spacing issues for bulleted and numbered lists, the alignment of your list matters. Make sure the indents on the second line of the list item align with the first character of text.

Tip - Number list items when order matters

The items in a numbered list actually communicate a sequence: First we have the team meeting; then we do the plan; then we write the report and present it. These items, in a list, would be numbered because they show a process. Numbered lists are used to explain processes or to show the pieces of a whole (such as, "Four key ideas contribute to this finding").