Re[5]: Responsible use of Obviously

[Bonni Graham <Bonni_Graham_at_Enfin-SD -at- RELAY -dot- PROTEON -dot- COM>]

Jane writes:
***
1.  Select File > Open ....                     First part of a step
                                                has the action a user
                                                should take

    The Open File dialog box appears, as        Effect of that action
    illustrated in Figure 1.                    or feedback to user
                                                appears in the second
                                                part of a step

The figure numbers sit at the end of "mini-paragraphs" (as illustrated above!).
     ***

     I work with Jane, but on a vastly different product.  I use a colon to
     point to the figure:

     1.  Select <some menu action here>.  This accesses the <name of dialog
     or window>:
     |
     |
     | <picture of dialog or window>
     |
     |
     Figure X:  The <name of dialog or window> <with special circumstances,
     if applicable>  F1 (to indicate that specific field-sensitive help is
     availabe for this screen).

     I've used this format in other manuals as well, and it seems to work
     pretty well.  It avoids forward-referencing (if I have to refer back,
     I use a standard SEE <figure #> reference), and forces me to put the
     picture of what I'm talking about close to what I'm talking about
     (i.e., making it more accessible to both skimmers and readers, I
     hope).  The text phrasing before the picture makes the step
     consequence-based (if you do this, this happens), which seems to be
     comforting to the reader.

     Bonni Graham
     Bonni_Graham_at_Enfin-SD -at- relay -dot- proteon -dot- com
     Easel Corporation, Enfin Technology Lab
     President, SDSTC