Re: Demonstrating Click and Drag Selection on Paper

["Collins, Darren DA" <Collins -dot- Darren -dot- DA -at- BHP -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

Misti,

This is a simple way to demonstrate to a live audience.  Maybe you can adapt
the analogy to use it in your manual.  You could even use photos of someone
carrying out these actions.

Draw an icon box on a desk or a piece of paper, and an information tree
somewhere next to it.  Cut out a little piece of paper or cardboard (about
an inch square), and draw your Blah-Blah Icon on it.  Put it in the icon
box.

Now, pretend your finger is the mouse pointer.  You put your finger above
the icon--that's like hovering the mouse without clicking.  When you put
your finger down, that's like clicking and holding.  Now, with your finger
down, you can drag to the Ho-Hum part of the information tree.  When you
raise your finger (take it off the button), it will stay there (or do
something, or whatever your program does).

When you do this in person, it sticks in people's minds.  Hopefully a series
of photos or diagrams might do the same thing.


Darren Collins
Computer Engineer, Blast Furnaces
BHP Port Kembla, Australia


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Misti Anslin Tucker [mailto:matucker -at- MMM -dot- COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, 07 October 1998 12:10
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Demonstrating Click and Drag Selection on Paper
>
>
> I've run into a curious difficulty in my latest project.
>
> I'm documenting a very complex software application adjunct
> to a medical
> device for use by surgeons who I'm told "may never have used
> a computer of
> an kind before and certainly are not technologically sophisticated."
>
> OK, so I can't assume that they know what I mean when I say
> "To select a
> Blah-Blah list for your Ho-Hum template click on the
> Blah-Blah Icon and
> drag it to the HoHum part of the information tree.
>
> The list, information tree, etc. are easy enough -- but how do I
> demonstrate click and drag on paper?  While I will be
> developing an on-line
> tutorial to go along with this app, I also assume that new
> surgeons coming
> on staff will automatically see the tutorial.
>
> I'm sure someone has tangled with this issue before me...did
> anyone find a
> solution?
>
> (This is pretty basic, so off-line answers are fine unless
> you think it's
> of general interest.)
>
> Misti Anslin Tucker
> matucker -at- mmm -dot- com
>

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