How do you determine the design of your dissertation?

After the initial introductory meeting with your personal designer, it is time to begin the actual design process. This takes the form of a design sample. In this article, we explain exactly what a design sample is and what to look for during the evaluation of this sample. Still curious about the introductory meeting? We would like to refer you to this article about the first introductory meeting with your Personal Thesis designer.

What is a design sample of your dissertation?

A design proof consists of a few pages of a dissertation. These pages contain all the design elements of the final dissertation. These are typically the typeface and style for the:

• paragraphs
• various headings
• captions
• headers
• tabs
• tables
• figures
• page numbering

The designer sends the design proof as a PDF file. This file is best opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader. This program provides the most accurate display of the PDF. We advise against opening the PDF as a preview in your Finder (Mac), Explorer (Windows), or a browser, as this display is often incomplete or incorrect. It is also possible in Acrobat Reader to to indicate notes and corrections in the layout proof of your dissertation, This is essential at a later stage.

[Important: Only one final chapter is required to create this test. The rest of the files are not needed until a later stage. Therefore, you can start the design without any problems while your files are not yet final or complete (for example, while they are with the committee).

How do I indicate corrections in my dissertation?

Based on the design proof, there is an opportunity to indicate corrections. It is normal for the first design proof not to be perfect immediately. Often, the overall result looks slightly different than you initially envisioned. No problem; this is what the correction rounds are for. You submit corrections using notes in the PDF sent by the designer. In a separate article, we will discuss how you corrections to the formatting of the dissertation passes on to the designer in Adobe Acrobat.

We would like to help you properly evaluate the design proof, and we have a number of tips for this. Keep in mind that a dissertation is read, not just looked at. This means that the structure and readability are at least as important as the appearance. Read more about this in this article. the readability of a dissertation and for more information about the structure of a dissertation, you can also consult our knowledge base.

During the correction rounds of your design proof, you will have the opportunity to adjust the design. Sometimes content-related matters also stand out (e.g., changes in the text). Should this be the case, we ask that you implement these content changes yourself in the source files (Word files, images, etc.). You can then send these updated files, along with the corrections, to the designer. Once the design proof has been approved, you may indicate textual corrections in the subsequent proofs of your entire dissertation.

Approved design proof

Once you are satisfied with the design proof, the designer will ask for your approval. This is very simple; you will receive an email allowing you to download the files again. This email confirms that the attached design is final and that the rest of the interior will be laid out in this design. Therefore, it is not necessary to reply to this email once you are satisfied with the design.

As soon as you are satisfied with the design proof, the designer will start working on the layout of the interior and cover of the dissertationt. You are already one step closer to a beautiful booklet that will make your defense a day to remember!