Cellular phone manuals
Susanne Bay · CHI '03 extended abstracts on Human factors in computer systems - CHI '03 · 2003
Manuals of technical devices are often not very helpful to the user. This study investigates the influence of spatial instructions versus conventional linear step-by-step manuals on inexperienced users' performance handling cellular phones. Results show a significant interaction between user age and manual. Middle aged users profit more from the spatial information given in the manual that contains the phone's menu tree than from the step-by-step instruction, whereas subjects older than 50 show no improvement. It is concluded that manufacturers should consider the inclusion of spatial information on the cellular phones' menu structure in their manuals, as the majority of users would benefit.