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Home > Patterns > How to write FAQs > Handle branching with bullets |
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Handle branching with bulletsOccasionally, you reach a decision point. The guests should do X if they want to print, Y if they want to save. OK: the step should read something like this: "Decide what you want to do now." Then drop in two bulleted items:
In this way you bring the decision to the attention of the user, which is good, because many users don't realize they have to make a choice. A decision is a meaningful action; it deserves its own step. Putting the options in separate paragraphs clarifies that there are several options, and you can pick one. Beginning each one with an If clause helps the user decide whether that particular option applies or not. If it doesn't, the user can skip to the next item. In this way, you avoid the peculiarly American problem, where people read an item such as "Do X if you want to print," and--right away--they press X right away, even though they do not want to print, because, well, they just act before they read the whole line. Starting with the IF clause helps make sure they make the right choice...before they act. |
Related article Writing in a genre (Full chapter from Hot Text, in PDF, 770K, or about 13 minutes at 56K) Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from Hot Text, Web Writing that Works (PDF, 995K, or about 18 minutes at 56K) Hurray for FAQs (PricePoint) |
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