A Two-Page Spread Is All They See

 

Anyone who develops online documentation learns early on about designing in terms of "screens" of information.  But do we ever think in those terms when writing paper manuals?  Even though you can easily flip through the pages of a paper manual, you still can only look at one two-page spread at a time.  Don't forget - people won't read a manual like a novel.  Most often, they will have the book propped open so they can refer to it while doing a procedure.

 

It makes sense to design your manual in terms of that two-page spread.  Here are a few principles:

 

¤             If your text refers to an illustration, make sure that illustration appears on the same or facing page.

¤             If you can, divide procedures into sub-groups so that you can show a complete sub-group on a single two-page spread.

¤             Develop a modular organization, so that information is presented in discrete chunks, small enough to fit on a two-page spread.

 

Not every text lends itself easily to fitting within a two-page spread, but the more you can apply these principles, the easier it will be for your users - and the more likely they will be to use the manual.

---