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Design can be so much more than creating something pleasing to the eye. The right choice of design tools can support the essential functions of a product. In the case of dictionaries, with their overwhelming number of word entries and sometimes confusing internal article structure, good design can create a “guiding thread” through the maze of information, allowing users to orient themselves and not lose sight of their path. This chapter will provide an overview of the essential role played by design in both the form of dictionaries and their usability and will also examine the different traditions that exist in the design of (print and electronic) dictionaries (→Section 6.2.1). The development of dictionary design depends on the intended context in which the dictionary will be used, its potential users, and its data modelling (→Section 6.2.2). Usage studies (→Section 6.3) can help delve deeper into user needs concerning dictionary design. Design practice is dependent on a number of elements that are not unique to dictionaries but also on many dictionary-specific factors, for example whether the dictionary is a retrospective digitalisation project or whether the design takes the content of the dictionary or its intended users as its starting point (→Section 6.4). Search functionality is what provides access to an Internet dictionary, so the design of this functionality also has to be planned carefully (→Section 6.5). Finally,the role of established design guidelines and frameworks will be considered, including how templates are employed and how the lexicographic process should be informed by the interconnected development of content and design (→Section 6.6).
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