Text, pictures or animations in instructions for use : a validation of different media for specific types of information

The Bieger and Glock taxonomy of information types is applied to test the relative effectiveness of text, pictures and animation in on-line help systems. On the basis of this taxonomy seven versions of an on-line help system for telephones were designed, varying text, picture and animation for the operational information and varying these three versions with separate pictures with spatial information. The results show that presenting only operational information in text is the most effective; subjects using instructions in animation needed more time and made more mistakes. Adding spatial information (in pictures) was counter-productive: without this information subjects performed better in all versions. Although no contextual or other information was given, all subjects understood the system very well. They seem to have learned very well without any information in advance about the system or the tasks, just by doing. Just telling what to do - without explaining - seems to be the most efficient help in instructions for use for modern electronic equipment.