October/November 2005

Volume 46, Number 2

Solutions, Inc.

by Ron Arner

Thread #1: Large Print Books and Journals

I have a client whose product is going to target older users. I'll be producing a hard copy manual for them, and they'd like to know what the "standard" font size is for books and journals (they specifically mentioned the Reader's Digest Large Print edition) that use large print. Does anyone know if there is a "standard" size and what that size is?

Thanks for any input you can provide.

I would be surprised if there is a standard font size for books and journals targeted at older readers.

The reason is because typeface legibility is based on a lot of factors besides the size of the font:

• the design of the characters
• the "x height" of the characters
• whether the typeface is serif, slab serif, or sans serif
• the leading between lines
• the line length
• even the page design (any size of navy blue text on a black background is probably a bad idea!)

A typeface designed to be legible to beginning readers, like New Century Schoolbook, in a large font, is often attractive to older readers as well.

Around ten years ago, I was choosing a company typeface. I created 12 sample letters in different typefaces and fonts. My father and step-mother indicated a strong preference for 12-point New Century Schoolbook. (I chose 12-point Adobe Garamond with 15-point leading. Seniors weren't my target audience!)

Your client is suggesting a good idea: look at publications designed for older readers. Note the typefaces and fonts they use. There's probably some information about typefaces for older readers on the Web. For example: http://cogprints.org/592/00/199802002.html

There's really no substitute for testing different fonts with your target audience. Lay out a page in a variety of fonts and ask older readers which sample they like best. They won't hesitate to tell you!

According to my visually impaired SME, the standard is 14 pt Arial Bold.

I remember that there were sessions on this topic at the last STC conference. Go to the session materials page (http://www.stc.org/52ndConf/session.materials.asp) and look at Nova Berkshires' stuff.

Ask a couple of city librarians who order books. They will know the large-print publishers who could answer your question. (Personal guess would be 16-18 pt.)

As always, you folks are great. I appreciate the responses, which I've summarized below.

I also happened upon a really cool resource that I'd like to share. It's on the Colorado state Web site and it's called Ask a Librarian. (Whoever mentioned asking a librarian sparked me to use this resource when I saw it.) It's a real-time place to ask questions of a librarian and the person who help me, found the following sites:

• http://www.randomhouse.com/largeprint/
• http://www.vbgov.com/dept/library/accessible_services/0,1534,11506,00.html
• http://www.aph.org/edresearch/lpguide.htm

Bottom line: Random House uses 16 pt, but American Printing House for the Blind prefers 18 pt.

Thread #2: Recording Webinars

Is anyone out there involved in presenting webinars and recording the presentation? My company currently uses Genesys, which lets you record the actions on the screen, but doesn't bother with recording the audio, so I'm looking for recommendations of software/service providers that will allow us to record and distribute a presentation.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

I was involved in a fairly broad survey of webinar companies last year for the STC (I was still trying to get STC to lower its price). I was most impressed with Webtrain www.webtrain.com.

Although I personally have not recorded a Webinar with them, I've attended several that used their services. Their customer service seems excellent and they will walk you through a sample Webinar to show you the ropes. They were the most affordable, too. And I remember that they did have the option of recording your webinars.

For the audio side: <http://www.highcriteria.com/>

Try Raindance ... and they're local.

www.raindance.com

For internally-developed webinars (employee training, etc.) it would seem a great option.

For external presenters, check the copyright status. Might some presenters copyright their materials? If webinars are a source of income for them, they might rebel at being recorded.

Thread #3: Naming Conventions for Deliverables

Hate to admit that we have no guidelines around naming our deliverables, primarily books. One question in particular is when is it appropriate to call a book a User Guide? Is it audience specific? Is it content specific? We've had in-house people tell us that the title User Guide should only be used for end-user documentation. However, we've used the title for books used by techs, system managers, and others. Is this appropriate?

What do you see as a standard structure for a User Guide? Is it primarily a reference? Can it contain conceptual material? Or procedures?

I've always thought that the term "user guide" was applicable to any book that tells someone how to use something, so it could be applied to tech manuals as well as to manuals going to people who are using the system as a tool (the term "end user" is a silly term, IMHO. If I'm a system administrator, I *am* the end user for the system administrator's interface/tools/task descriptions).

However, the difficulty that one runs into is expectations (as evidenced by your in-house opinions). If most of the manuals intended for administrators and programmers and installers have never been called "User Guide," and the manuals for those who use the software itself have, then your customers will expect your books to follow this de facto standard. I've had the best results titling books by audience or major task: System Administrator's Guide (or System Administration, or Administering the Walks-on-Water System); Programmer's Guide, Installation Guide, Planning Guide, and so on.

Hope this helps.

A resource that might help is Saul Carliner's Information Design web site, specifically the information about different types of communication products at http://saulcarliner.home.att.net/id/genres.htm. You can access related how to's at http://saulcarliner.home.att.net/id/processresources.htm.

I'll have to have Sherman fire up the "Way Back Machine's" operator's manual for this one ;-)

Since simpler seems to work best, I've used this guideline for the places I've worked:

• Operator's xxx is for how to turn on a machine (NOT a computer - see user guide or manual below) and operate it in the manner specified (equipment operating procedures). Operator differs in that it is about operating a piece of hardware or equipment (e.g., medical device, a printer, a TV, etc.) Conceptualization of operation is covered.
• User guide or user manual xxx is for a "software end-user" (generally speaking the customer)and it covers installing software, using the functions AND it provides procedures for operation of the system. Conceptualization of equipment or hardware There are also basic "do not open the cover troubleshooting procedures and under-the-cover procedures point to a user service guide and, depending on equipment and user risk, refer the user to the user service guide OR service manual.
• User service guides (detailed descriptions checking exterior components without removing the cover and can often be included in one "book" with the user guide. Contains conceptualization
• Service manual is for conceptualization of system operation, where systems/components are located, opening, troubleshooting, and replacing components. A stand-alone book. Service manuals are for certified or factory-trained techs, engineers ONLY.

I've also suggesteed that part numbers are critical—keep one set of numbers (e.g., operator manuals are P/N 100-xxx, User guides are 200-xxx, user service guides are 300-xxx, and service manuals are 400-xxx. Having a part numbering system can also tie the docs to the product.