Feedback Requested: Common Tasks (details)
For our next release, we’d like your feedback about how we might improve our orientation topics. These topics contain introductory text, followed by links to and brief descriptions of other topics that carry a common theme, and we get frequent feedback that users dislike the current format. In a topic that is titled (for example) “Manage Changes to a Database Schema,” users expect to see either conceptual or procedural information about that topic, rather than a list of links.
Another writer, David Chesnut has already designed scenario topics as a possible solution to this problem. We are also considering two other options, and we’re interested in which format you would find most helpful, in addition to any other suggestions you might have.
The Two-Column Option
In the two-column option, the left column contains a descriptive paragraph or a bulleted list of related tasks, and the right column contains links to topics about those tasks:
- Pros: Clearly separates topic links from task descriptions. Shows the full topic title, which helps distinguish conceptual topics from procedural topics. Likely easier for customers that are new to an area and trying to learn about the entire set of tasks.
- Cons: Requires you to read both columns to find the topic that relates to a given task. Also takes up more screen space.
The Single-Column Option
The single-column option embeds the links within the task descriptions so that the topic titles are a bit less “in your face.”:
- Pros: Easier to browse if you are already familiar with the overall scenario and you know what task or tasks you’re looking for.
- Cons: Can’t easily tell whether the links point to procedural or conceptual topics.
Feedback
Please let us know what you think about these options. If you prefer one over the other, let us know why. You can leave feedback in response to this post, or you can e-mail me directly at steven.powell@microsoft.com.
-Steven
