Manual Indexes:
The basic procedure for creating an index is:
- Review the user analysis. This will refresh you memory about the main actions and activities in regards to the software and can be used as a reference when deciding on what terms are important.
- Pick out terms or phrases that you want to index. Typically tables, figures; examples; definitions; acronyms; main topics; important concepts; main tasks; tool buttons; keyboard shortcuts; menu names.
- Record the locations.
- Alphabetize and edit the index.
Advantages of using this method are:
- Automatic alphabetizing
- Automatic formatting
- Ease of revision
- Review the user analysis.
- Mark the index entries.
- Build the index.
- Edit the index.
- Command and Functions. These include all of the terms that you find on menus, as well as control and Alt key functions.
- Concepts. The ideas related to the subject matter of the program.
- User Terms and Questions. Relating words to synonyms that a user might know, i.e. a user wants to "quit the program", your program calls it "exit".
- Glossary Terms
- Proper Names of Products and Companies
- Tasks and Procedures
Level of Detail
- A light index will have two to three items per page.
- A medium index will have five to seven items per page.
- A heavy index will have eight to nine items per page.
- Primary locator numbers; the page number where the main information occurs. In some indexes this page number is in bold.
- Capitalize terms.
- Make entries sound like sentences.
- Special terms.
2 comments:
While working at my previous job, we dealt a lot with making indexes. Before starting the position, I thought it would be pretty easy. However, after I started working on my first album, I saw how difficult indexes can be. With invitation albums it was important to include key terms that would help guide the customer to their desired product. The albums typically just had item numbers, but it seemed like a waste of time since only our company knew what the item numbers meant. Once we started changing over to actual words, we had to go through and pick out exactly which phrases to use. It was a tedious process, but I think it helped out a lot with over all usability. I know that when I look at an index and it is organized well, I have a lot easier time finding what I need. On the other hand, if the terms in the index are vague/or the index is poorly organized, I just feel like giving up.
I think the use of synonyms or alternative terminology is often overlooked by index designers. Often, the reason a user turns to an index is to learn how to perform an unfamiliar task. If the user is unfamiliar with the task, it is likely that they are unfamiliar with the terminology as well. I'm amazed at how difficult it can be to find information in indexes sometimes, even in online help systems with sophisticated search engines. I think a task-oriented approach should be applied to index design in the same way that it is applied to the rest of a help document's content.
Post a Comment