Technical Instructions Features Missing?

  • 23 September 2021
  • 4 replies
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Is there no way to make words bold in ProMapp? Even this chatroom allows for that. Bolding clickable items in technical instructions is so basic, it's surprising that ProMapp developers failed to include such fundamental text editor features.


4 replies

Keeping the formatting simple was intentional decision to keep the processes consistent and clean.

Being able to add emphasis to words that are supposed to be clicked is pretty basic. This tool was intended to create stepped instructions that include references to clickable objects. Sometimes these clickable objects comprise more than one word, so bolding these words helps the reader know exactly what he or she is seeking to be clicked. Not being able to clearly differentiate the clickable string of words from the instructions arguably might appear "clean" and "concise" from a software developer's standpoint but lends to confusion from an end-user's usability standpoint. An authoring tool meant for online stepped instructions should be designed with the end users in mind. Omitting something as basic as being able to put emphasis on words and justifying it as clean and concise is akin to not using commas because they complicate sentences.

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Clickable items within a process ie links to documents or websites *are* in a different text so are clearly visible and obvious.

As for instructions on how to use a system (eg enter text in x field, click Apply then click OK etc), in our organisation, and in the Promapp training, this level of details is included in a user guide attached as a linked document.


Having keystroke information included in the process map is too much detail (refer to the Hierarchy of process information as to what is usually included in a process map and what isn't).


The layering of information like this in Promapp is one of the features I like best as it makes the process maps useful to a wider range of audiences from senior management through to the person who started working here yesterday.

Not quite sure what you mean by "clickable objects" - I assume you're referring to systems? 


 


We use Promapp for our business processes, which sometimes includes systems but more often than not is people doing things (not systems). 


 


Each task should be clearly written to show what needs to be done. I've worked in process improvement for 15 years and in my experience using bold or other highlights for specific wordsphrases is counter productive - it tells users the rest is less important and can be ignored.


 


Instead best practice is to make your instructions concise and practical so that only the key information is shown.

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