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In <000601c22c1a$40b4ae70$e3245c18 -at- BILLSWALLOW>, on 07/15/02
at 12:11 PM, "Bill Swallow" <wswallow -at- nycap -dot- rr -dot- com> said:
>::: Road signs and technical manuals are not the same thing.
>No, you're right. Road signs are much more succinct at getting important
>information to the "user" at the user's time of need. *rofl* SERIOUSLY!!!
>Whether you'd like to admit it or not, the human mind is better at handling
>visual imformation than print.
So, showing pictures of a saw, hammer, nails, a wooden fence and another on
making a fence -- at the local hardware store, will get you what is need to go
home and build one -- right?
Why? I dunno, but I bet it has something to
>do with learned behavior vs. instinctive behavior. I'm sure there have to be
>studies on the web about this. Actually, I'm sure there are, as I've read
>some. I'm just too lazy right now to Google the URLs for the list. ;) (*GASP*
>Did I just use a proper noun as a verb?!? *LOL*)
>Visual information - if designed correctly (simple and direct), can be
>processed by the human mind extremely quickly.
Only the most simple of information can be conveyed with pictures. -- As
someone who has taught blueprint reading, I assure it cannot be done without
using many, many words.
>You don't need to be able to
>read to know that a pictograph of a skull and bones, wedge between an arm and
>a hand, or a red triangle with an exclamation point in it mean DANGER. You
>can also communicate an overview of an assembly process quicker with an image
>than words, or communicate how a circuit is constructed, or any workflow,
>hierarchy, or system.
Okay. Lets test the idea. Draw me pictures of how to make 6 year old go to
bed, or to make her share a bag of jelly beans with her brother. No words
allowed. Or lets, make it simple; I have experience in power plant
management, operations, maintenance, safety, training, engineering, design and
writing -- draw me a picture that conveys that better then a synopsis.
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