Guidelines for Developing Instructions ch. 5 (Ahles/Hennis)
In this chapter, Inaba, Parsons, and Smillie talk about the use of graphics in instructions. According to them, the role of graphics is to show where the equipment item of interest for each step is located, and what it looks like (39). Graphics are meant to make procedural documents usable and act as a compliment to the text. The graphics should work in a way so that the text can be direct and easy to understand. The chapter then goes into some ground rules on what to use with graphics.
Locators
Locators are the arrows and labels used to identify the items in a graphic. The authors give several rules on how to use locators in a graphic:
Use a locator to help the user find the area containing the item if it isn’t immediately obvious from a general view.
Use a locator and detailed view to show a detail difficult to see on the bigger view.
Use a caption to identify the locator or item unless the identity is obvious.
Detailed View
The detailed views are those that show all the components and parts mentioned in the text of the instructions. Rules given for the detailed view included only use a minimal number of illustrations to support the text, avoid unnecessary details or graphics, and show hands or tools in order to simplify the instruction text.
Types of Graphics
There are many types of graphics that can be used in procedural documents. All of which have their own rules and ways to be used. One of the most common is the line art graphic, which can be represented in two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or traced drawings. Although it is common to think that a photograph is better than a drawing, but a drawing can have much less clutter than a photograph and provide a more accurate representation. The rules for these drawings are as follows:
Three-dimensional drawings should be used for detailed views whenever possible.
Two-dimensional drawings should be used when 3D graphics aren’t available.
Only use traced drawings when 3D drawings aren’t economically available.
Captions and Callouts
Captions and callouts are two ways of supporting whatever type of graphic that you choose to use in a procedure. A caption can be used as a title to identify a graphic or portion of a graphic. The rule given for captions is to use them when the view or location of an item is not readily apparent
Callouts are numbers accompanying an arrow that points to a component or part in the graphic that’s also referenced in the text. For callouts, it is recommended to only use straight lines, restrict their length to one quadrant, place callout numbers at the tail end of each arrow, and arrange callouts in an easily recognizable sequence.
Locators
Locators are the arrows and labels used to identify the items in a graphic. The authors give several rules on how to use locators in a graphic:
Use a locator to help the user find the area containing the item if it isn’t immediately obvious from a general view.
Use a locator and detailed view to show a detail difficult to see on the bigger view.
Use a caption to identify the locator or item unless the identity is obvious.
Detailed View
The detailed views are those that show all the components and parts mentioned in the text of the instructions. Rules given for the detailed view included only use a minimal number of illustrations to support the text, avoid unnecessary details or graphics, and show hands or tools in order to simplify the instruction text.
Types of Graphics
There are many types of graphics that can be used in procedural documents. All of which have their own rules and ways to be used. One of the most common is the line art graphic, which can be represented in two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or traced drawings. Although it is common to think that a photograph is better than a drawing, but a drawing can have much less clutter than a photograph and provide a more accurate representation. The rules for these drawings are as follows:
Three-dimensional drawings should be used for detailed views whenever possible.
Two-dimensional drawings should be used when 3D graphics aren’t available.
Only use traced drawings when 3D drawings aren’t economically available.
Captions and Callouts
Captions and callouts are two ways of supporting whatever type of graphic that you choose to use in a procedure. A caption can be used as a title to identify a graphic or portion of a graphic. The rule given for captions is to use them when the view or location of an item is not readily apparent
Callouts are numbers accompanying an arrow that points to a component or part in the graphic that’s also referenced in the text. For callouts, it is recommended to only use straight lines, restrict their length to one quadrant, place callout numbers at the tail end of each arrow, and arrange callouts in an easily recognizable sequence.
posted by Wes Ahles | 3:40 AM
9 Comments:
I appreciate the attention to detail the authors achieve in this chapter. Working with graphics has always been a challenge to me and I am, to put it politely, "graphically challenged." Fortunately, I have had access throughout the years to talented artists. This began while working on my student newspaper many years ago. We had a talented cartoonist on staff who later went on to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning (Steve Benson). Back then I would get him to create graphics for my news stories.
I have continued that practice, seeking out co-workers who display some expertise in working with graphics in order to make up for my own shortcomings in this area. As Clint Eastwood once said, "a man has got to know his limitations"! My limitation is graphics. (Okay, I admitted it. Now I will shave my head, tatoo lips on my wrist and repeatedly enter and leave graphical rehab!)
"Whoops, Carl did it again."
Back to the subject of the chapter. I believe I'm still the last person to not have the book (Amazon says it should ship tomorrow), so I really appreciate the postings to keep up with my "reading."
Since the product I work with (insurance) doesn't lend itself to a cutaway or line drawing, I'm not faced with those graphic decisions. However, I do use screen shots and I like the standardized approach to numbering, arrows, etc. discussed in the chapter.
Can hardly wait till I can read the chapter for myself!
no book
When I first looked at the chapter, I thought it would be really simple since it was so short. In reality though, it did include a lot of helpful information regarding the graphics of documentation. Although sometimes the graphics get overlooked, they are very important for instructing users on how to carry out tasks on machinery. If not properly laid out and constructed, the graphics can be the downfall of an entire set of instructions.
I agree with what Carl has said here. I like the attention paid to detail by the authors of this chapter. I think there is so much contemplation and decision making that goes in to actually creating a document that it's a wonder that it ever gets finished with this much attention being paid to detail. Undoubtedly it pays off in the end when the finished product is created with minimal complaint of mistakes. Graphics no doubt can really enhance the presentation of the product and its amazing on how they can simplify or even create the content as well.
Show, don't tell, right?
I believe the authors of this book made conciseness a major goal of this book. It is amazing what can be discussed in such a short chapter, especially when regarding such an expansive and varied subject such as graphics. There are thousands of different ways to look at, for instance, a distributor cap. You can choose a 2-D schematic, a 3-D line drawing, a digital photo with callouts, an exploded diagram, include/don't include graphics of tools used, which angle or perspective to look at it from, color/no color, step-by-step pictures, etc. There's a lot to think about, which is why I can appretiate such a concise discussion about graphics, because it reminds me to keep things simple and only include what is necessary to the task at hand.
Graphics in documents are still a necessary evil. Necessary because they explain things that words might not be able to, and evil because the correct balance between text and graphics is tricky.
I agree with what Carl said in that graphical design is definitely an art form, both for graphic artists and photographers. For myself I prefer the use of photographs to be used show actual pictorial items rather then drawings. I picture is worth a thousand words where as a carton is worth only a couple hundred. One problem I see a lot of in figures is when there in no difference in the layering of the graph between structural elements and primary elements. So think that any one with a camera is qualified to take instructional pictures.
I'm pretty decent with gr1aphics actually; nothing spectacular but I'm able to splice things together and make straight lines and curvy ones. I started off horrible though; I've only improved because I associate people who excel at the subject.
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