ABSTRACT
Writing and page layout are both acts of spatial arrangement. They involve the placement of letters or characters and other graphic elements over a paper or equivalent surface. In this way, there is something in common with architectural and urban design for these too arrange things (walls, floors, buildings, squares, streets, trees etc) in space. It is pertinent therefore to have as my point of departure the young child who is learning to write. For just as the way we think is closely tied to our language, so the way we conceive and arrange space is related to the graphic qualities and visual expression of our language. Indeed, Rod Mengham concludes in his provocative but persuasive investigation of the historical development and role of Language: ‘The planning of a language leads…ultimately to the planning of human sensibilities’ (Mengham, 1993, p. 169). Likewise, our spatial sensibilities may be linked to the nature of our writing systems.
