Once the report text became stable enough to read as a whole, I started thinking more seriously about its presentation.
The assignment brief makes it clear that the content and research are the priority, so I do not want the document design to overpower the academic writing.
At the same time, this is still a Graphic Design Master's submission and the report should feel considered and intentional.
My first priority is readability.
The text needs enough space, clear hierarchy and a consistent relationship between headings, body copy, quotations, figures and references.
The report is already discussing complicated ideas, so the layout should reduce rather than increase cognitive load.
I also want the report to feel connected to the visual language developing within my project without simply copying the Studio Practice document.
The pale blue, cream and restrained technical aesthetic can appear subtly through section pages, image treatment and typography.
This creates continuity across the project while still allowing the Critical Report to function as an academic document.
The brief allows images, but I do not want to add visuals simply to fill pages.
Any figure should help the reader understand something that is difficult to communicate through text alone, such as a system diagram, research process, thematic relationship or relevant precedent.
If an image is only decorative, it probably does not need to be there.
I have also been developing simple section/title pages for the wider project.
For the report, I want to use this idea more minimally so the reader can move clearly between major chapters without interrupting the flow of the essay.