Proofreading means correcting faults while keeping the document’s design. Redesign means changing the design itself. In a practical task, doing the wrong one can mean the right fixes are present but the output still does not match the task.
This skill sits in document editing and proofing. It matters because consistent styles and the layout settings from document production are exactly the things a proofreader should not disturb.
How do I tell the two apart?
Ask one question of every edit: does this fix a fault, or does it change the look or structure? A fault is something wrong against the task, the source, or basic accuracy. A matter of taste is not a fault.
If an edit changes only characters, spacing or content so it matches the source, it is proofreading. If it changes how things look or where they sit, it is redesign.
A routine, step by step
- Read the task and underline the verbs: correct, proofread, reformat, redesign. They set the scope.
- Find the source or reference text the document must match, if one is supplied.
- List each fault before changing anything. Write what is wrong and where.
- Sort the list into proofreading and redesign. Do only the group the task allows.
- Edit one fault at a time, and keep the layout settings untouched.
- Compare the final document with the original, looking only for differences you did not intend.
Worked example
The task for an invented club notice says: Correct errors so the notice matches the supplied note. Keep the existing layout. The supplied note says: Saturday 14 March, Room 4.
A student writes down 8 possible edits and sorts them.
| # | Edit | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Change “recieve” to “receive” | Proofreading |
| 2 | Remove a double space after a full stop | Proofreading |
| 3 | Change “Saturday 12 March” to “Saturday 14 March” to match the note | Proofreading |
| 4 | Change “Rm 4” to “Room 4” to match the note | Proofreading |
| 5 | Change the body font to a different style | Redesign |
| 6 | Move the picture from the right to the left | Redesign |
| 7 | Add a new heading “Special Offer” | Redesign |
| 8 | Change the title colour | Redesign |
Count: 4 proofreading edits (1, 2, 3, 4) and 4 redesign edits (5, 6, 7, 8). Total 8, which matches the list.
Decision: the task says keep the existing layout, so only edits 1 to 4 are made. The other four are left alone.
The mistake to watch for
A student thinks the notice would look better with a new font and moves the picture while fixing the date.
Mistaken result: All 4 faults are corrected, but the font changed and the picture moved.
The proofreading is right, so the student feels finished. The task said to keep the layout, so the output now differs from the instruction. The correction is to undo the design changes and keep only the fixes.
Check yourself
1. A line says “teh meeting starts at 5”. Is correcting it proofreading or redesign?
Show answer
Proofreading. It fixes a spelling fault and changes no layout.
2. The task says “proofread only”. You notice the line spacing looks tight. What do you do?
Show answer
Leave it. Line spacing is a layout setting, so changing it is redesign and the task does not ask for it. If you can add a note, mention the observation separately.
3. A heading says “Open Day 2 May” but the source note says “Open Day 9 May”. Which group, and why?
Show answer
Proofreading. The content is wrong against the source, and fixing it does not change the design.
Where this leads next
Next, learn to insert a permitted reference accurately, then finish with comparing the output with a task checklist. The document editing practice set mixes all five skills. The ICT practical task and evidence checker helps you keep a record of what was corrected and why.
If scope mistakes keep costing you marks on practical tasks, our teachers can work on task-reading habits in online one-to-one ICT tuition.