ABSTRACT
Some people are disinclined to read narrative instructions and warnings, but they might pay attention to instructions that mostly use graphics instead of text. That is because graphics can be attention-getting and communicate messages more quickly than the equivalent text. Some common graphic styles include: simple icon, line drawing, illustration and photorealistic rendering. Strive for a high graphic-to-text ratio in instructional documents. A text-heavy instructions for use (IFU) document is likely to dissuade users from reading the IFU because it looks intimidating and time-consuming to read. The graphic must be large enough to enable viewers to recognize key details and should include additional visual elements that communicate essential meaning, such as wavy heat lines indicating a thermal hazard. Some people consider illustrations to be the best choice for instructional media. Effective graphics tend to be simple-looking illustrations that emphasize only the important details.
