Re: Screen shots within numbered steps, OR at the end?

[Ronni Geist <ronni -at- GEISTWRITERS -dot- COM>]

Nickel, Joyce wrote:

> I'm writing a user manual for beginners (not techies).
> I've included screen shots within the numbered steps. The idea is to
> include the illustration along with the instructions. The problem is
> that my list of five short steps now takes three pages. The effect of a
> numbered list is kinda lost between all the illustrations.

Joyce -

Last year, I was doc manager on a series of manuals for PC peripherals. The
installation instructions were l-e-n-g-t-h-y   (in some cases, 20+ steps!) and
we wanted users to be able to see exactly what they should be doing each step
of the way.

For both the hardware and software installation sections, we put the numbered
list text  with the written instruction to one half of the page (often to the
left side, but not always), and the accompanying screen shots and/or line
drawings (of the boards, jumpers, cables, etc.) adjacent to the text, on the
other half of the page (often, to the right, but not always).

Sometimes the text ran horizontally across the entire page...sometimes the
graphic ran across two-thirds or three-quarters of the page...and we often
alternated between text on the left, graphics on the right. But throughout, it
was easy to follow the numbered steps in the list.

Additionally, we left ample space between steps and made certain that the user
never had to turn the page to see the graphic or the instructions for a single
step.

Yes, the install sections of our manuals were quite lengthy, but they were VERY
clear and easy for beginners who had never set jumpers, connected cables, etc.

Hope this helps!

Ronni


Ms. Ronni Geist
Editorial Director
GeistWriters
ronni -at- geistwriters -dot- com