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Usability studies and bold text for software documentation
Subject:Usability studies and bold text for software documentation From:Holly Turner <hturner -at- HARBINGER -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 7 Aug 1997 09:46:57 -0400
>I am looking for any usability studies or research concerning boldfaced
>button names, menu items, and other software terms in printed
>documentation or online help.
>
>Our Technical Publications Manager has suggested that
>we stop bolding certain software terms. We currently go by the
>Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications guidelines, which
>instructs us to bold button names, menu items, and other things.
>
>I believe that legibility increases when you decrease the number of
>typographic changes in a sentence. I just want to make sure that my
>audience understands that I am talking about the OK button without
>introducing a bunch of verbiage. I would much rather write "Click OK."
>than "Click the OK button." I'm sure they know OK refers to the button,
>especially if OK is in boldface type.
>
>I would like some research to back up our final decision. Any comments
>are appreciated.
>
>Thanks!
>
>-Holly
Holly Turner
technical.writer.at.harbinger.corp
tel (404) 467-3557
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