Laying out your document plans seems like a simple linear text flow process when using Microsoft Word, but that's not the only way to organize information. With Word 2013's drawing and shape tools, you can create a quadrant design, giving you four precise areas to detail and show data. Use quadrants for mini storyboards, to separate ideas, or to organize data.
Starting From Scratch
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Step 1
Launch Word 2013 and click "Blank document" on the main splash screen. When the document page loads, click the "View" tab. Click a check in the Ruler box to see the rulers at the top and left of the page. These don't show by default. If you already have rulers enabled from a previous task, leave the box checked as-is.
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Step 2
Click the "One Page" button on the View tab's ribbon to zoom out and see the full page.
Step 3
Click the "Insert" tab, then click the "Shapes" button and select the line. When the cursor changes to the plus symbol, position the cursor on the left margin of the page, at the 5.5-inch mark, halfway down the page vertically. Press and hold down the Shift key to enable a straight line, click and drag your line across the page and off the right side.
Step 4
Position the cursor at the bottom of the page at the four-inch mark and draw a line straight up and off the top of the page. You now have four quadrants. Note that the Drawing Tools tab and its ribbon are enabled at the top of the screen. If desired, you can change the blue default line color and the line weight in the Shape Styles section of the ribbon.
Step 5
Click the "Draw Text Box" button on the ribbon. Draw a square inside the top-left quadrant. Type text into the quadrant. You can change the text box's border color by clicking the "Shape Outline" menu. Draw an additional text box and type into each quadrant as desired. You can also copy the text box and paste it into each quadrant to make an exact copy, then change the text as desired.
Step 6
Insert other items into the quadrant by clicking the Insert tab's "Pictures," "Online Pictures," "Screenshot" or "SmartArt" buttons on the ribbon.
Step 7
Click the "File" tab, select "Save As," to name the file and save it to your computer -- or the Cloud for Word 365 users.
Using a Template
Step 1
Launch Word 2013. Click the "Open Other Documents" link on the left of the splash screen and browse to where your quadrant template is stored. If you recently used it, it will be on the top left of the splash screen, under the Recent section.
Step 2
Double-click the template. If you have many files, it may be helpful to narrow them down by clicking the "All Word Documents" drop-down on the Open window and choosing "All Word Templates." This will help you find the quadrant template more quickly. After loading, the quadrant template appears in the Word window.
Step 3
Make any changes to the existing quadrant template as desired. The steps above detailing how to add boxes and lines will be helpful here as well. When satisfied, save the template. Be sure to save the file with a new name, so it does not overwrite the original. In the "Save as type" drop-down menu, select "Word Template." Click "Save" to save the new quadrant document.