Re: Procedural Info.

["Chuck Martin" <twriter -at- sonic -dot- net>]

"Andrew Plato" <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote in message
news:115368 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
> ""Ward, Curtis (DST-CLT)"" wrote...
> > What's the best way to present procedural information where instructions
> > depend on the type of software you are using?
>
> I have a little rule about this. If there are two or less splits, just
> break them out within each instruction. Hence:
>
> 1. For a Win98 system, click OOK.
>    Win2000 users click BLECK.
>
> If there are more than two splits - do two entirely different instruction
> sets. So what if there is repetition. Clarity is what matters. If you
> bunch up to many paths into one instruction set, you'll wind up with an
> incomprehensible mess. Its easier to just do two entirely separate sets of
> instructions.
>
I'd add one additional tidbit, if reasonable. If there are a number of
places where this happens, and especially if you have to write 2 separate
procedures, I offer some sort of graphical icon at the beginnnig of each
procedure that clearly identifies the different softwares. That way, under
the main heading, the user's eye would likely be drawn (if on the same page)
directly to the (hopfully) recognizable icon for their specific needs.

This does alleviate the need to spell out which software each procedure is
for textually, but providing useful visual cues to get the user to the right
place a little faster.

--
--
"I don't entirely understand it but it is true: Highly skilled
carpenters don't get insulted when told they are not architects,
but highly skilled programmers do get insulted when told
they are not UI designers."
     - anonymous programmer quoted in "GUI Bloopers"

Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net      www.writeforyou.com



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