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

[Marguerite Krupp <Marguerite_Krupp -at- BAYNETWORKS -dot- COM>]

At 10:40 AM 7/28/98 -0700, 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 key questions I would ask are how are readers going to use these screen
shots? What do they show?

If you want to have a simple "here's where you are" indicator or "this is
what the result should look like" display, then you can get away with a lot
smaller illustration. Consider Tracy's suggestion of a 2-column format. You
might even make the screens really small and put them in the (possibly
expanded) left margin, right in front of the step to which they refer.

For an interesting variant, see the "At a Glance" series of books at your
local bookstore. They include screen captures and numbered steps in a very
approachable format.

>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.

If you have the freedom to experiment, try using HUGE numbers, like an inch
high. Those won't get lost! I've used that trick successfully, putting the
whole thing in an unlined table, with the numbers on the left and the text
and reduced screen capture on the right. It all depends on how you want to
do your layout.

>An option is to put all the illustrations at the end of the list. I think
this would
>look more organized, but personally, I hate flipping pages to follow
>instructions.

GAKKK!!!

Just my opinion.
Marguerite Krupp