Screen Writing: "Brevity is the Soul of Wit"
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Figure 1. In this classical hierarchical menu, we orient the end- user with an initial instruction at the top. (Its a good road sign.) The 7 groups consume attention for reading. Therefore, at the bottom of the screen, we remind the user what to do. Notice that the grouping headers use a verb form to help clarify the available actions. (More good road signs.) We sequenced the options by the most probable task flow. These points all represent good screen writing.

CRYPTOWRITER SNEAK ATTACK Sometimes designers say they don't want to include instructions on a screen because they "clutter" the screen for expert users. The designers say that new and infrequent users will get training, or figure it out and soon become an expert. Our reply – how many times do you want to miss the La Guardia exit before getting there on time? Why penalize the new and infrequent users at all?

What is the soul design antidote? For starters, psychology experiments show that experts can easily "gate out" or ignore those instructions. In fact, a definition of "expert" includes the skills to use a screen, often "heads down," i.e., they may not even look much at the screen! They memorized the tab sequences. When you know the road, you ignore the road signs.

Next, and more important, the instructions serve as "just-in-time" training to new and casual users.

This cryptowriting sneak attack occurs because the application tools used by developers and analysts fail to provide good examples of just-in-time training. Word processors and GUI builders are terse, intellectually demanding, and focused on a limited set of tasks. Cryptodesign fails to appreciate the fact that most end-users will face a much larger variety of screens that service a multitude of different tasks. These end-users need on-screen road signs through insightful labels, enlightened grouping headers, and tactical instructions. Help systems fail to meet this need! (Research reveals that few end-users resort to help, even though developers may use it readily.)

We call good screen design "just-in-time training". The soul designer solves the problem with brief instructions at strategic points. When space constraints get really tough, you might have to cut back on instructions. But quick usability tests verify how well you have placed road signs for the fast-driving user.

In our screen writing world, we need a balance. We must avoid too few words (it takes time to figure out the screen). But we must also avoid too many words (it takes time to read them all, see Figure 2). Let's explore how the soul designer avoids being gored on these twin horns of the writer's dilemma. In brief, as we'll see: "Know thy users, for they are not you."

Figure 2. This confirmation message demands a lot of reading. It's overkill writing. Better solution: provide an "Undo" capability to your application. Yes, it's more work, technically. But "Undo" saves the effort of writing and reading numerous confirmation messages.

Let's check out the types of work we can eliminate with good screen writing. Remember our VIMM model: Visual, Intellectual, Memory and Motor work can all be reduced.

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