Begin with the page goal
Name the one skill the page mainly invites. If the target is reading comprehension, heavy copying, crowded visual search, or complex marking may obscure what the learner understood.
Check each kind of load
Look separately at reading length, instruction complexity, memory, writing, visual search, motor action, and decoration. Remove demands that do not serve the goal. Illustration should invite attention without revealing the answer.
Try before buying or printing many pages
Observe a small sample at actual size. Notice where the learner pauses, what help is needed, and whether the response space fits natural handwriting.
Limitations
A calm-looking page is not automatically well designed. The task still needs a clear objective and answerable content.