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The problem with purely graphical instructions is that they represent
static serial animations: that is, a series of pictures that require
viewers to interpolate (infer) what happens between frames. The
problem? Heck, if they could do that, they wouldn't need the
instructions!
OK, so I exaggerate. <g> But the larger point remains valid: written
language provides efficient cues for telling readers what to do
instead of making them do the brain work to figure it out. Carefully
chosen graphics reduce this burden, but don't wholly eliminate it.
Why the difference?
The source of the problem is that there is no standardized visual
language that all of us learn the same way we learn English (or
other) grammar. We do eventually learn that arrows show directions of
movement, and various other bits of visual grammar, but the key word
there is "learn": all of these are agreed-upon conventions, not
inherently intuitive universally understood conventions. Even the
direction of the "reading" of a graphic is culturally bound: left to
right or vice versa? top to bottom or vice versa?
It's quite a challenge designing graphics that make this learning and
inference process relatively painless.
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-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
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