7 Developing content

What this clause covers

Clause 7 is the production clause, and its structure is a checklist for the help style guide. Writing for a small screen has its own general statement, then steps, colour, icons and simple language. The draft then asks for a language of touch gestures, which is unusual enough to be worth a separate style guide section. Content customization covers device specific variants, custom variables, conditional text and CSS, which points to a single source rather than copied files. Illustrations and video have a general statement, GUI representation, movement and process video, and augmented reality. Translation closes the clause. Read as a whole, clause 7 says the help is engineered: structured, conditional, translatable and kept in step with the interface it describes.

The headings in this clause

• 7.1 Writing for small screen size
• 7.1.1 General
• 7.1.2 Writing in steps
• 7.1.3 Colours
• 7.1.4 Icons
• 7.1.5 Simple language
• 7.2 Language of touch gestures
• 7.3 Content customization
• 7.3.1 Device-specific customization
• 7.3.2 Custom-defined variables
• 7.3.3 Conditional text
• 7.3.4 Cascading Style Sheet (CSS)
• 7.4 Illustrations and videos
• 7.4.1 General
• 7.4.2 GUI representation
• 7.4.3 Videos on movements and processes
• 7.4.4 Augmented reality
• 7.5 Translating UA contents

What to put in place before publication

1. Write a mobile help style guide with a section for steps, colour, icons, simple language and gestures.
2. Adopt one action per step and put the action first, then the result, then any warning.
3. Name every gesture the same way across help, release notes and support scripts.
4. Move repeated content into variables and conditional blocks, and test both branches of every condition.
5. Set a screenshot standard that matches the current interface, including dark mode and large text.
6. Build a translation kit with length limits, screenshots, glossary and a review step for the translated build.

Evidence to keep

Where teams usually fall short

• Procedures are ported from the desktop manual and still describe hover and right click.
• Screenshots are two releases old, and the user cannot find the control in the picture.
• Translated text is dropped into a layout designed for English and overflows.

What happens next

At FDIS, check the subclause list and whether clause 7.5 changes. Translation and AI are the two areas most likely to be revised before publication.