How to Create a Step-by-Step Instruction Guide: A Comprehensive Guide

Creating clear, easy-to-follow instructions is crucial for user satisfaction, whether you’re guiding someone through a simple task or a complex process. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step approach to crafting effective instructions.

Complex Procedures: Numbered Lists

When dealing with complex tasks that involve multiple steps, a numbered list is the ideal format. Follow these guidelines to ensure clarity and consistency:

Consistency is Key: Format procedures in a consistent manner. This allows users to quickly scan and understand the steps involved.
Descriptive Headings: Utilize headings to clearly indicate the purpose of the instructions. For example, “How to Add an Account” or “Adding a New User.” Maintain a parallel structure in your headings for consistency.
One Step, One Number: Dedicate a separate numbered entry for each distinct action. If multiple short actions occur in the same UI location, they can be combined into a single step.
Complete the Step: Include actions that finalize a step, such as clicking “OK,” “Apply,” or “Save.”
Full Sentences: Use complete sentences to provide clear and unambiguous instructions.
Imperative Verbs: Employ imperative verb forms to directly instruct the user. For example, “Click,” “Select,” or “Enter.”
Consistent Sentence Structure: Maintain consistency in sentence structure. For instance, always use a phrase to indicate the starting point. Otherwise, begin each sentence with a verb. Examples: “On the ribbon, go to the Design tab.” “Open Photos.” “For Alignment, choose Left.”
Capitalization: Capitalize the first word of each step.
Punctuation: Use a period at the end of each step. An exception is when instructing users to type input without end punctuation; in this case, omit the period and format the text so that user input appears on a new line.
Brevity: Limit procedures to a maximum of seven steps, and ideally fewer. Aim to fit all steps on a single screen for ease of reference.

Examples:

To Create a Group of Tiles

On the Start screen, select the tiles you want to group together.
Drag them to an open space. When a gray bar appears behind them, release the tiles to create the new group.

To Schedule Sprints

In the Backlogs view, select the first sprint under Current. Or, open your sprint backlog from the following URL: https://AccountName/DefaultCollection/TeamProjectName/_backlogs/iteration Several predefined sprints are listed under Current and Future. Actual sprint titles vary based on the process template used to create your team project. However, calendar dates haven’t been assigned.
To set the calendar dates, select the first sprint under Current, and select dates.

Single-Step Procedures: Bullet Points

For single-step instructions, maintain the same formatting style as multi-step instructions but replace the number with a bullet point.

Example:

To Move a Group of Tiles

On the Start screen, zoom out and drag the group where you want it.

Tips for Writing Effective Steps

Clarity is paramount. Ensure users know where to take action before describing what action to take.

Location Awareness: If the instruction appears in the same UI where the action occurs, specifying the location may not be necessary.
Orienting the User: If ensuring the user starts in the correct location is crucial, provide a brief phrase at the beginning of the step. Example: “On the Design tab, select Header Row.”
Anticipate Confusion: If there’s a possibility of confusion, include an introductory step to clarify the context. Example: “On the ribbon, go to the Design tab.”

Simple Instructions with Right Angle Brackets

For extremely simple sequences, right angle brackets can abbreviate the instructions. Include a space before and after each bracket, and do not use bold formatting.

Example: Select Accounts > Other accounts > Add an account.

Accessibility Note: Screen readers might skip over brackets, potentially confusing users. Consult an accessibility expert before employing this approach. This is vital for ensuring inclusive communication for all users.

Conclusion: Guiding Users to Success

Creating effective step-by-step instructions is vital for user empowerment and efficient task completion. By adhering to the guidelines outlined above, you can craft instructions that are clear, concise, and easy to follow, leading to a positive user experience. Remember to prioritize clarity, consistency, and accessibility in your instruction design.

References

Microsoft Writing Style Guide
Usability.gov Guidelines