2003-10-14

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The Page Design Genie

Rather than replacing the graphic artist, Xerox's software is designed to function like a page layout genie that looks over the shoulder of the person creating a document, whether the person is an artist or a graphically-challenged office worker. The automated document-layout software starts with raw content such as text, graphics, headlines, and diagrams, then arranges them in accordance with sound design principles until the software comes up with pages that look good. If the user adds more elements—more text, graphics, or pictures—the software automatically redesigns the pages. Genetic algorithms in the software pick the best design, and Xerox's programmers built the algorithms to follow the example nature sets in the way it picks the best genes. That is, the application examines many "species," eliminating those that aren't good enough and allowing the most fit to survive. Once provided with the elements of a document, the software can present the viewer many iterative examples of how they all might be put together. Users can provide rules that must be observed in producing the iterative page layouts—preservation of logo colors, restrictions on the amount of page overmatter, and more.