Design and Layout
General
- Every page will have a list of links to the left. If these links are mobile, we will also have Quick Jump links across the bottom of the page. If the links to the left are stationary, we do not need quick jump links across the bottom of the page.
- Each page will feature the "APE Helpers" banner across the top, as well as the slogan and a list of Quick Jump links.
Quick Jump links allow the user to jump directly to the procedure or tutorial he or she seeks. If a user wants to know more, he or she can go to the Procedures page or the Tutorials page and learn about the suites of tutorials or the way the procedures are categorized. Quick Jump links will most likely be used by users famiiar with our help system.
- We will not use indents in normal paragraphs of text, but instead double space between each paragraph. This applies to welcome sections and explanations, but not to Tutorials or Procedures, or anything where we use numbered steps.
- We will use graphics where they apply, and try to make the site friendly-looking so that users won't be intimidated.
Tutorials
- All numbered steps within a tutorial will use a hanging indent, and will be double spaced between each step.
- Each step within a tutorial will not be broken down into separate actions, but instead condensed into a paragraph so as to make the instructions feel less institutional.
- All tutorials should be 12 steps or less.
- Any screenshot used in a tutorial will be place to the right of the instructions, and the lowest border of the screenshot should correspond with the last step to which it applies.
- Screenshots will be bigger than a thumbnail so that the user can see detail, but small enough to fit comfortably on the page. The user should be able to click on the screenshot to enlarge it if he or she wants more detail.
- We should provide links in tutorials to any "previous" tutorial that explains how an action is done so that the user doesn't have to go searching for help, but can find it instantly.
- At the end of each tutorial, we will offer a list of related tutorials so as to ease navigation.
Procedures
- We will not provide more than one action per step within procedures.
- All numbered steps within a tutorial will use a hanging indent, and will be double spaced between each step.
NOTE
I have some questions about certain elements of layout and design: Are we using tabs for quick reference, the way Scott showed said Autodesk used? I imagine this will come in handy in the Procedures section, so that someone can see what the button looks like, or have a quick overview of what it does so he or she can decide how to use it.
I was thinking our website could have a blue-ish color scheme, mainly because blue is calming. I don't have any more detail besides that.
Should we link Tutorials to Procedures to explain how something is done?
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