Professional
October 23, 2026
Expert Talk on “Document Design” at Nirma University
Ahmedabad, 23 October 2026. Royson Rajan, Founder and Director of Atlas SoftWeb Pvt. Ltd., delivered an Expert Talk on “Document Design — The Visual Side of Rhetoric and Composition” at Nirma University. The session was organised for BS (Computer Science and Engineering) students and held on Friday, 23 October 2026.
This was Royson’s second consecutive year delivering the talk at Nirma University. The 2026 edition was updated with a new section on design in the age of artificial intelligence, reflecting how quickly the way documents are created, read and shared is changing.
Why Document Design Matters for Engineers
The talk began with a simple idea: how a document looks is part of how it communicates and persuades. Whether it is a project report, a résumé, a technical specification or a pitch deck, the layout, typography, colour and visuals shape whether a reader trusts the content, understands it and acts on it.
For future software engineers, this matters every day. Documentation, user interfaces, proposals and presentations are all forms of communication, and good design is what turns information into understanding.
Key Themes Covered
1. Design as visual rhetoric
Royson explained how classical rhetoric (ethos, pathos and logos) applies to visual choices. A professional layout builds credibility, clear structure supports logical argument, and colour and imagery create emotional connection.
2. The CRAP principles and typography
Students explored the four foundational principles of design (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity) and learned how typography acts as “the voice of text”: how font choice, size and hierarchy shape tone and readability.
3. Layout, white space and the psychology of colour
The session showed how balanced layouts and deliberate white space improve comprehension, and how colours carry emotional and cultural meaning. In a hands-on activity, students chose a colour palette for a tourism brochure and evaluated real brochures and flyers.
4. Visuals, accessibility and multimodal communication
Royson stressed that images and graphics must support the message, not distract from it. He also highlighted accessibility, so that documents work for everyone, including readers who use screen readers or have visual impairments.
What’s New in 2026: Design in the Age of AI
A highlight of this year’s talk was a dedicated section on how AI is reshaping document design:
- AI has joined the design table. Tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Gemini and Canva’s AI features now help draft layouts, images and charts in seconds.
- Rhetoric still applies. As Royson put it, “AI gives you options. Rhetoric helps you choose.” Every AI-generated layout, image or chart still has to be judged against its purpose, audience and context.
- The ethics of AI visuals. Students discussed transparency: disclosing AI use, following institutional policies, and citing generative AI according to APA and MLA guidance.
- Designing for screens first. With most reading now happening on mobile devices, documents need to be designed for small screens from the start.
- Designing for human and machine readers. Documents today are read not only by people but also by screen readers, search engines and AI assistants that summarise them. That makes clear structure and proper headings more important than ever.
In an interactive “Human vs. AI Design” activity, students used AI tools to generate a one-page flyer, then critiqued and improved it using the design principles covered in the session. The exercise showed both the strengths of AI and the continuing need for human judgement.
A Hands-On Case Study
The session closed with a case-study exercise. Students analysed a deliberately flawed brochure and identified errors such as clashing colours, poor visual hierarchy, inconsistent fonts and an unprofessional tone, then suggested improvements using the principles they had learned.
The Takeaway
The core message for students was clear: writing is not purely verbal; it is visual. Good document design is not decoration. It is effective communication through purposeful visual choices, and in an AI-assisted world, the ability to make those choices thoughtfully is a lasting professional advantage.
