Graphics Instructions for Manual Design
- How to approach the task of choosing graphic frames for a sequential process?
- The important graphic frames that readers would need to be shown.
- Graphic frames for which readers would need no help. Readers can understand the task without illustrations.
- How to use simple and yet appropriate labeling to explain graphics?
Labeling might be used to identify objects, show direction, force, functions, motion etc. See the graphic example below. It not only identifies objects, but also shows direction and force.
- How do you think the graphical perspectives have been chosen (reader-centered, object-centered etc)?
Spectator’s Point of View Performers’ Point of View
- How important is for readers to be able to mentally animate the process exactly as the task should take place?
Pulley System
- The importance of object-identification.
- The importance of whether the object is familiar to the reader (Depending on Readers’ areas of expertise)
A Familiar Object An unfamiliar Object
- The importance of readers' previous experience with the task and a similar instructional manual.
- Do not change visual perspectives when you don’t have to.
TEXT INSTRUCTIONS FOR MANUAL DESIGN
- A page full of straight text in a small typeface is not inviting. Since many people do not like to read documentation at all, the least you can do is to ensure that each page is easy to read.
- In deciding your layout, you must ensure that you leave sufficient "white space." "White space" refers to the portions of a page that are blank, no matter what color you are using. Large margins, spaces between sections, and easy-to-read fonts are factors to address. You should design each page to be pleasing to the eye. Trying to fit as much information as possible on each page does not aid your reader. The documents with less text on each page are easier to read.
- You must decide how your layout will handle headings, tables, sample screens, warning messages, shortcut tips, etc. Each of these elements gives you the opportunity to increase readability by adding variety and interest to your document. Make sure you have lots of headings to help steer readers to the information they need.
- You will want to add space between each section and make the headings eye-catching by using boldface type or a different font. Large margins can be used for short descriptive headings or shortcut tips. (Be sure you still leave plenty of "white space.")
- To highlight warnings or hints you may want to use italics or put the text in a box. You can insert sample screens that relate to the text which will help you explain a feature and increase the visual appeal of your pages.
- Once you decide how to format each of these elements, make sure you write a document specification to record your decisions. Other design considerations include numbering of tables and sample screens, deciding on page headers and footers, and distinguishing user input from system prompts. You should include all of these in your specifications.
Using tables is an effective way to present information that may be difficult to explain in paragraph form. Tables are good when you want to show, for example, how different settings can affect output. You can clearly display each option and the associated result as in the example below.
If you set Report to: / The result is:week / weekly report of revenues
month / monthly report of revenues
year / last 12 months of revenues
Bulleted or numbered lists are helpful when you are writing long lists or instructions. Rather than writing the list or steps required to perform a function in paragraph form, write them in a numbered (or bulleted) list. Consider the following examples.