INTERNAL ONLY: Cloud Designer Training

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Getting Started

Welcome to the Cloud Designer

The Cloud Designer is our Guided Path design and authoring tool where all content creation takes place.

Cloud designer or Core interface.

Getting Started: How to Create a Guided Path

  1. Navigate to the Cloud Designer and log into your account.
Cloud designer login page.
  1. Click on the DESIGNER tab.
Cloud designer highlighting the designer tab.
  1. Click the + icon, then click Guided Path.
Creating a new guided path.
  1. The New Guided Path window will appear. To successfully create your new GP:
  2. Name your Guided Path.
  3. Select the intended audience for the guide you're creating.
  4. Click OK to proceed.
New guided path window.
  1. Your newly created guided path will appear. The left-hand frame displayed is the step library, from which you can search for and drag in an existing step, or create a brand new step of your own. More on this later.
New blank guided path.

2. Content & Step Library

Guided Paths are made up of individual steps that are tied together to create the outline of your guide. The steps within your guide should be thought of & titled as a single topic or task within that larger process. The content within those steps should cover the instructions necessary to accomplish that task. As you can see within this training guide, steps are linked together very much like a flowchart would be. When it comes to adding steps to your Guided Path, one of the easiest ways to save time and prevent yourself from doing work that someone else may have already done is to make use of the Content Library & Step Library that lives within the Cloud Designer. Using the Content Library & Step Library to your advantage is a great way to locate re-usable content that can save you time during the design process.

What is the Content Library?

The Content Library is comprised of all the guides that exist within the Cloud Designer. This can be helpful in locating a Guided Path similar to the topic or device you're currently working on, so that you can browse through the steps used within, and take a close look at the path's Outline and Flow to see if there is anything that you are able to re-use. Outline and Flow are very important to the structure of a Guided Path and how it will read for the end user. There will be more on Outline & Flow as training continues.

How to Search the Content Library

  1. The Search bar can be used on the right-hand side of the Designer tab.
Cloud designer search bar.
  1. As you begin typing your search term(s), results will immediately appear within the Manage Content list.
Searching the content library.
  1. You can sort your search results by clicking on any one of the header columns above the Manage Content list.
Sorting the manage content list.

What is the Step Library?

The Step Library contains every step that has been created within the entire library of Guided Paths. For this reason, it can be important to try to keep the reusability of steps in mind as they're being crafted. What benefit does this have? Think of the devices we use every day: our smartphones and computers. If we were to create a step with instructions that explained how to connect your computer or smartphone to your wireless network, this is a process that wouldn't change at all for that particular device, regardless of the topic of the guide. So, instead of re-creating a new step with that exact same information each time it's needed, the step library can be utilized to search for such a step that already exists, and simply drag it into the Guided Path you're designing for re-use. This makes one less step you will need to fill with content during the design process, and can save a great deal of time.

How to Use the Step Library

  1. If the Step Library is not already open, click the Add Step button in the upper-left corner of the Cloud Designer.
Add step button.
  1. The Step Library frame will slide into view from the left side of the screen. To begin searching the Step Library, begin typing any search term within the search bar (1). Search results will begin populating within the frame immediately.
Step library frame highlighting the search bar.
  1. To place a step from the Step Library into your guided path, simply click, hold & drag it into your Guided Path just like you would move around a desktop icon on your computer.
Adding a step from the step library.

It is important to keep in mind that not all steps within the step library will be or should be re-usable. Some steps must be written with a certain context in-mind, or are very device-specific, and will not be a good fit for re-use. For situations like this, steps can be cloned and then edited to fit within the context of the guide you're building.

Be Careful When Re-using Steps!

The Step Library was designed with the re-use of steps in-mind. Take the above example regarding a step that covers connecting a device to WiFi. If there are 12 guides using that same step, updating that step within any one of those guides will cause it to be updated across all 12 guides that it is used in. For this reason, it is very important that you determine whether or not you will need to edit or change any information within a step that you are pulling in from the step library.

If no editing will be required, and the wording fits your Flow, the step can be left as-is.

If you need to change anything within the step at all, the step in question will need to be cloned, as mentioned above.

How can I tell if a Step is being used in multiple guides?

There are two ways to tell if a step is being used elsewhere:

  1. When browsing the Step Library, hover your mouse pointer over the Info icon. An information panel will be displayed. The Paths that use this Step field will list any Guided Paths a step is being used in.
Step library info icon.
  1. For steps that have already been pulled into your guide, if a step is being used in more than one GP, the contents of that step will not immediately be editable. If the step contains a Step Edit button, this is an indication that this step exists within multiple Guided Paths.
Step edit button.
  1. To edit the contents of this step, click the Step Edit button.
Step edit button.
  1. The Edit Step prompt will appear as a warning. A list of guided paths the step is used in will be displayed.
  2. Clicking Edit will allow you to edit the contents of this step (Please see the warning below!).
  3. Clicking Clone will create a duplicate of this step exclusive to this guided path that can be edited without affecting other guides.
Edit step prompt.

  1. Be careful! Choosing to Edit the contents of the step affects every guided path the step is used in. If you need to make changes to the step, choosing to Clone the step and alter it to your guide's specific needs is best, unless you're certain you want your changes to affect any other guides it's being used in.

3. Cloning Steps, or Cloning Entire GPs

Cloning Steps or Entire Guided PathsYou've begun designing a new Guided Path, and you've located a guide for a similar product to use as a point of reference. There might be multiple steps within that guide you've found that are actually very close to what you'll need for your guide, but have identified that they'll need slightly different instructions and photographs. Do you need to create a whole new guide with all new steps using these others as a reference? Absolutely not. Any step within the step library can be Cloned and then edited to fit your needs without affecting the original step or the guide that it came from.

How to Clone a Step

There are two ways to clone a step within a Guided Path:

Using the Right-click Method

  1. Make sure the step you wish to clone is already present within the Guided Path you're working on.
Guided path highlighting a single step.
  1. Right-click on the step you wish to clone, then click Clone Step.
Cloning a step within a GP.
  1. The New Step prompt will appear. Name your new step appropriately (1), then click Create (2).
New step prompt when cloning a step.
  1. The newly-created step will appear on top of the step it was cloned from.
Cloned step.
  1. The new step can now be dragged into position anywhere within your GP. Be sure to delete the step it was cloned from within your GP:
  2. Right-click the step you wish to remove, then click Delete Step.
Deleting a step from a guided path.
  1. A confirmation prompt will appear. Click Delete to proceed.
Delete step confirmation prompt.
  1. Now that the original step has been cloned, you can edit its contents without affecting the original step or altering the contents of the GP it came from.

Clone via Attempting an Edit Method

This method may not be available if the step in question is not being used within any other Guided Paths.

If a step is being used in more than one GP, the contents of that step will not immediately be editable. If the step contains a Step Edit button, this is an indication that this step exists within multiple Guided Paths. This can be used to clone the step in question.

Step edit button.
  1. Click the Step Edit button.
Step edit button.
  1. The Edit Step prompt will appear as a warning. A list of guided paths the step is currently used in will be displayed.
  2. Click the Clone button.
Edit step prompt.
  1. The Clone a Step prompt will appear. Name your new step appropriately (1), then click Submit (2).
Clone a step prompt.
  1. The original step will be replaced with the newly-named duplicate step exclusive to this Guided Path that can now be edited without affecting other guides.
Cloned step.

Why Clone an Entire Guided Path?

If you're building a Guided Path for a product that is extremely similar to one that already has a guide created for it, you may want to clone the entire GP. After cloning, the steps within the cloned guide that require changes can also be cloned and edited to fit your needs. A great example would be a "Set Up" guide for two different models of fitness trackers. If there is a completed guide for one model, and you are working on a guide for a new model, cloning the existing guide might be the best course of action to save time.

How to Clone an Entire Guided Path

  1. Open the guided path you wish to clone.
Example guided path.
  1. Towards the upper-right corner of the Cloud Designer, click the
Down
  1.  next to the Save button, then click Save As New Path.
Save button highlighting save as new path option.
  1. The Save Revision prompt will appear, and you will be prompted to enter a comment to keep track of why this GP was cloned. Enter any comments you wish to leave, then click Ok.
Save revision prompt.
  1. The GP will then be copied, and the new version will be opened for you. The copy will use the same name as the original GP, but will include the words Copy of in front of the original title.
Newly copied GP opened.
  1. Click the Details button to open the Guided Path Details pane, where the GP can then be renamed.
Guided path details button.
  1. Edit the Name of your GP (1), then click Update (2).
Guided path details window.
  1. You now have a copy of the original Guided Path saved and titled appropriately. You can now begin to assess which steps within need to be cloned and altered to fit the topic you're covering.

4. Connecting Steps to Create Your Outline/Flow

What do you mean by Outline & Flow?When it comes to designing content, all Guided Paths are made up of two major core components: the steps within each guide, and the instructions within each step. However, the way all of your steps are tied together dictates how a user will experience the content you've designed. The process of tying all the steps within your guide together in the order of which you want the user to experience each step is the 'Flow' of your guide. The finished product of all the necessary steps of your guide being tied together is its 'Outline.'

In other words, your Guided Path's Outline is comprised of all the steps that will take the user from the beginning of your guide to the end. If you look to the left, you will see the Outline of this training GP. Think of your Outline as being a bullet-pointed list of main points within a very complicated task. Look closely at the names of each step within this Outline. The logical order that each step has been placed in is the Flow of this guide - the order in which the user is presented with each step.

Start with Your Outline

When you begin designing any Guided Path, a good place to start off is building your Outline first. This gives you the ability to look at the 'big picture' your guide will need to cover. Focus on inserting each of the steps you'll need the user to take and how they should be tied together before you begin filling in each step with instructions.

When constructing your Guided Path's Outline, it is important to remember these elements:

  • Introduction Step: get.support.com Guided Paths all contain an introduction step to prepare the user for what it is they'll be doing, any tools or supplies they'll need before they begin, and to cover or link-to any sort of pre-requisite task that should have been done before they'll be ready to follow the steps within the guide being presented.
  • Decision Points: Sometimes we need input from the user in order to present them with the proper information. For example: "Are you using an iOS or Android mobile device?" It's important to remember that a decision point prompt can be added to the end of any step within your guide. While decision points do not require their own exclusive steps, it may make sense to use a step that presents the user with relevant information surrounding the choice they must make in order to proceed with the guide properly.
  • Guided Path Shortcuts: Your Guided Path can link to other Guided Paths via Guided Path Shortcuts. For instance, if the user needs to have a specific app installed on their mobile device before proceeding with the steps in your guide, your guide can use a shortcut to direct the user to an app installation Guided Path rather than duplicate that pre-existing content.

Connecting Steps Together

Creating the 'Flow' of your guide's Outline is all about the chronology of steps. Physically connecting steps to one another within your guide is very straightforward.

  1. Each step within your Guided Path has connecting dots.
Step connecting dots.
  1. Simply drag one dot to another to connect them.
Connecting steps together.
  1. To remove a connecting line, start by clicking the connecting line to highlight it. It will change color to signify it's been highlighted.
Highlighting a connecting line.
  1. Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Keyboard with delete key highlighted.
  1. The connecting line that was highlighted will have disappeared.
Connecting line deleted.

Avoid 'Spaghetti' When Connecting Steps

The way in which you connect the steps of your Guided Path together should make your Guided Path easy to follow or read. This can help with future curation of the content within your library. If a Guided Path ever has to be updated or altered in any way, its contents should be easy to read or easy to follow for someone who was not the creator.

  • Example of a Guided Path whose steps are connected in such a way that makes the path difficult to read/follow:
Guided path spaghetti.
  • Example of the same Guided Path altered to be easier to read/follow:
Guided path unspaghettied.

Use other Guides as your Guide

Use completed guides to your advantage. As your content library grows, using a completed guide that's similar to the device or topic you're working on as a point of reference is a great way to find steps that can be re-used within your own guide, or give you ideas for an Outline & Flow that works well.

Outline of a GP within core.

5. Creating New Steps

Creating New Steps Within the Step LibraryIf you're covering a brand new device, or simply have been unable to locate a step that is suitable for re-use or cloning to fit your needs, it's time to create a brand new step within the step library. 

How to Create a New Step

  1. If the Step Library is not already open, click the Add Step button in the upper-left corner of the Cloud Designer.
Add step button.
  1. The Step Library frame will slide into view from the left side of the screen. Click the New Step button.
New step button.
  1. The New Step window will appear. Enter a name for your step in the Name field (1), then click Create (2). Your new step will appear within your Guided Path.
New step window.

Step Naming Matters

If you plan on taking advantage of re-using steps within the step library, adopting a standard naming convention for the steps you create can be of tremendous benefit. Because the step library search is searching the names of the steps themselves and not the content within, standardized naming of steps can help designers more easily locate steps via search.

6. Decision Points

What is a Decision Point?A Decision Point can be added to any step within your Guided Path. It presents the user with a question or statement that they must answer in order for the relevant Flow of your guide to resume. This is a sort of fork-in-the-road that splits the Flow of your guide. Each decision point split should be treated as a self-contained solution. For example: If a user is following a guide that stops to ask what operating system their computer is using, there would be two choices - one choice for Windows, and another for macOS. Whichever choice the user makes, the guide would then have two self-contained solutions: One for Windows, and another for Mac. Once the user has made a decision, you are able to present relevant information within your guide, or link to whichever guide might be appropriate for them.

When added to any step, Decision Point questions/statements and their choices always appear beneath the content of the step it has been added to. To a user viewing one of our guides @ get.support.com, a decision point looks like this:

Decision point step example.

How do I add a Decision Point to a Step?

  1. Select the step you wish to add a decision point to.
Highlighting a step.
  1. Click the Decision button across the top of the step's preview pane.
Decision point button.
  1. Within the preview pane, click the + Add Question text to add a decision point question to your step.
Decision point add question button.
  1. A blank decision point question and two potential answers will appear. Type your question or statement into the Q field (1), and then the answer choices into the A fields (2). If you need to add additional answers to your decision point question, click + Add Answer on the right side of the preview pane (3).
Creating a decision point question.
  1. After these fields are filled, your step will transform. There will be extra connection points representing each decision point answer that the user might select.
Decision point created.

Tips for Decision Points

Because Decision Points can be added to any step within your GP, it can be tricky sometimes to choose the right place to add a Decision Point. Always keep the following in mind when working with Decision Points:

  • Your decision point will always be shown beneath the content of the step it is added to.
  • You may find it more appropriate to create or add a step specifically for your decision point that provides relevant information to the user before they must make their selection. For example:
  • A step created for selecting the OS of a computer:
Computer OS choice step.
  • A step created for selecting the OS of a mobile device:
Mobile device OS choice.
  • While the verbage around Decision Points all use the word 'question,' your decision point does not always have to be in the form of a question.
  • When wording both your decision point question/statement and the choices the user will be presented, keep the audience in mind. Ask questions and present options that the user will be able to easily answer/select given the information you've provided.
  • Avoid making Decision Point answers simple 'Yes' or 'No' choices - word your question/statement in such a way that the answers can be expanded upon a bit more.

7. Guided Path Shortcuts

What is a Guided Path Shortcut?A Guided Path shortcut is used to create a link to another Guided Path. You may want to cover a topic the user needs to go through before proceeding further in the guide you're building, or you may want to link the user to an additional guide at the conclusion of a Guided Path. This allows your guide to cover topics using other guides that have already been built, without having to duplicate all the same content within another guide. For example, if you are building a guide where the user needs to have a certain app installed before proceeding further, we would ask the user if they already have that app installed. If not, we would want to take the user through this installation process. Instead of adding the steps for installation of the app into the guide you're building, you would create a Guided Path shortcut that links the user to the guide for installing that app. Once the user has completed that guide, they'll be returned to your guide right where they left off.

Creating a Guided Path Shortcut

Guided Path shortcuts can be added anywhere within a step. You may wish to create a separate step that contains your Guided Path shortcut, so it is more easily kept track of and/or curated for the future. However, these links can be added anywhere within the content of your step.

  1. Click the Insert Shortcut button.
Go To format
  1. The Insert Shortcut prompt will appear. Type the name of the Guided Path you wish to link to into the Switch to this Guided Path field (1), then type the desired name for the shortcut into the Enter shortcut name field (2). Click Save to create the Guided Path shortcut within your step.
Insert new shortcut prompt.

  1. If the Guided Path you wish to link to has not yet been published, it will not be found within the Switch to this Guided Path field.
  2.  
  3. As an example, a Guided Path shortcut will look like this once it has been successfully added:
    How to Install the [appname] App
  4. Clicking this shortcut will mark this step as "Completed," and if you complete the next Guided Path, this Guided Path will be completed automatically

 

 

8. Content Filling Process

Content Filling ProcessOnce your Guided Path's Outline has been built, your guide has a solid structure for you to work within. You'll be able to easily tell which steps do not need editing due to re-use, and which steps will need to have content added to them. Thus begins the 'content filling' process.

The instructions you give within your steps, the wording you choose to use, and the imagery you insert are all a part of helping users better understand and make use of the technology in front of them. Always be sure to keep your audience in mind when designing the content within the steps you've created.

Adopting Style Guidelines

Being consistent with the text-based elements you add within your steps is important. It creates consistency across all content, especially when multiple designers are involved. The following points below are style guideline suggestions and examples that can help standardize the content you create.

Headers, Fonts, Font Size, Font Colors

  • Fonts face, size, color, etc. are all dictated by the editor and the CSS code. Do not change any of this within the editor.
  • Use standard html markup in steps. H3, H4, etc. To accomplish this you will need to enter the html editor directly to add the tags.

Capitalization and Registered Trade Marks

  • Proper nouns, including manufacturer name, brand name, and product names should be capitalized (e.g., Xbox One).
  • CamelCase names (e.g., iPhone, PowerPoint, PlayStation) should always match the manufacturer's use.
  • Nouns, such a the generic product name, such as 'gaming console' should be lower case.
  • All cap names such as NVIDIA should be Nvidia
  • Title case your titles, step names, and headings. Capitalize the first letter in each word except for prepositions and pronouns (e.g., your). For example 'Connecting your TV to your Wireless Network'

Numbers

  • Spell out number one through nine.
  • Use numerals for 10 and over.

Examples:

  • Windows provides two ways to search for your files.
  • Hold the power button down for at least 30 seconds.
  • Hold the power button down for at least 30 seconds - the LED will blink three times.

Exceptions:

  • Internal consistency: Hold the power button down for at least 30 seconds until the LED fades, then wait another 5 seconds before turning the device back on.
  • When referencing a number that is on the user interface, use the numeral: Set the dial to 3
  • When referring to a model number or trade name, match the trade name: Windows 7 or Microsoft OneDrive

Bullets and Numbered Lists

  • Use the editor's bullet and number list feature to build ordered lists and numbered lists. Standard html markup can be used as well.
  • If you want to add an image or text between two bullets or numbers, use <shift><enter>. This creates a non breaking line space that will allow you to insert an image or additional text while preserving the next bullets or number in the list.

Example:

  1. Click Menu, then launch Spider.
  1. Begin playing the game.

Bold, Italics, and Underlines

  • Bold is reserved for referring to a named element in the UI where the bold should match what the user sees in the UI. Bolding should not be used to draw attention to or emphasize words within speech. Examples include:
  • Click on the Save link.
  • Click on the Apply button.
  • Look in the Description column of the report.
  • Make sure you do not power off your device.
  • Never give out your password.
  • Now, connect the power cord to your router.
  • Underline should not be used.
  • Italics should not be used.

Commands

  • Create a 1x1 table.
  • Set the font to Courier New.

Example:

  1. At the prompt, enter the following:
    dir /w

Reserved Words

  • Don't refer to step numbers within a Step. For example, do not use the words STEP 1, STEP 2, etc.

Example:

  1. Repeat steps 4 and 5 if you wish to add more devices.

Saving Your Work

As with any sort of document or content creation, save early and save often!

To Save Your Work

  1. Click the Save icon in the upper-right corner of the GUI.
Save icon.
  1. The Save Revision prompt will appear. Enter comments for your save, then click OK.
Save revision prompt.
  1. The Save icon will dim to indicate there have been no changes since things were last saved.
Dimmed save icon.

Saving a New Version / Version History

If you wish to fork a guide, or make changes without saving over the original work, you can choose to save your work as a 'new version' altogether.

To Save a New Version of a Guide

  1. Towards the upper-right corner of the Cloud Designer, click the
Down
  1.  next to the Save button, then click Save As New Version.
Save as new version.
  1. The Save Revision prompt will appear. Enter comments for your save, then click OK.
Save revision prompt.
  1. Across the top of the Cloud Designer, you'll see the Status and Version of your guide. Each new version advances the version number by one.
Status and version of the guide.

To View & Access Other Versions

  1. Click the Status or Version button across the top of the Cloud Designer.
Status and version of the guide.
  1. The Guided Path Details pane will appear. All available versions of your Guided Path will be displayed here.
fdfgd
  1. To access a different version, click the Magnifying Glass icon to the left of the version number.
Magnifying glass.

9. Image Guidelines & ALT Text

Guidelines for Images & ALT Text within ContentThe following step contains detailed information regarding preparing images for your Guided Path, how to add them, and how to ensure that proper ALT text is affixed to each one.

Image Specifications

Images should be:

  • Optimized for speed. 80KiB File Size or less.
  • 600 Pixels Wide or less (suggested)
  • 800 Pixels Tall or less (suggested)
Image Size example

Forcing Image Sizes

  • CSS code can be used to automatically scale down images if you wish.
  • If you require an image to be larger or smaller, use proper style definitions:
  • <img src="whatever.png" style="width: 300px;">
  • <img src="whatever.png" style="height: 200px;">

Consistent Highlights

Highlights should be a consistent color, shape, and size. They should be as close to the object or part being highlighted as possible without obscuring the object itself.

Do

Green Check
Good Highlights Example

Don't

Red X

Use random colors found in other images, use drop shadows, underlines, or leave large amounts of white space that could confuse the focus.

Bad highlights example

 

Image Focus

Images should be cropped down to show just the segment or area the user should be focused on, while still maintaining context to find that area of an image.

Do

Green Check

Crop out extra toolbars, whitespace and settings not the focus of the current step or topic.

Good Crop Example

Don't

Red X

Leave an original image intact that wastes space and shows a bunch of items that do not matter to the concept you are trying to convey.

Bad crop example

 

Use Iconography

Do

Green Check

Use simple, individual images such as icons or symbols to represent what a user should be looking for.

Windows 10 Start Menu

Don't

Red X

Use an entire screenshot when you're pointing out a common UI element in a well laid-out menu or page of information.

Bad Iconography example

 

Use Transparency

With product images especially, try to source or create a transparent background (when possible).

Do

Green Check

Use a product image with a transparent background so it blends in and integrates with site colors.

Good transparency example

Don't

Red X

Leave poorly laid out images with huge borders intact.

Bad transparency example

 

Text In Images

Your image diagrams the text you type on the page.

Do

Green Check

Use simple solid-color squares and circles to draw the attention of your reader to a particular area or segment of an image.

Good Example Without Text

Don't

Red X

Add text to an image to describe something. This should be done by using multiple screenshots with accompanying text instructions, not text in the image.

Bad Example with text in image

 

Text Copy to Detail Steps

Your images are prompts; they shouldn't do the talking for you.

Do

Green Check

Provide full, complete text-based instructions in your step. Assume the person using your content is blind, cannot see your images, and is only using a screen reader to follow what was written.

Don't

Red X

Rely entirely on the image itself to "tell the story". This can render content useless for visually impaired users, and doesn't 'tell the story' properly.

 

Alt Text

Every image should have descriptive alternate text provided by the alt= tag in the HTML code.

Do

Green Check

Concisely describe what the image depicts directly, almost as if it has no context whatsoever.

Don't

Red X

Use alt text to give further instruction or commentary. That's what your image and text on the page is for.

 

Image Size

Keep the amount of scrolling in mind when selecting an image size standard for your Guided Paths.

Do

Green Check

Resize after cropping and maintain the aspect ratios as best you are able.

Don't

Red X

Stretch, squish, or overly shrink an image till it no longer guides a user.

 

Image Clutter

Mouse pointers, extra toolbars, and excessive pixelation should be cleaned up as much as is feasible.

Do

Green Check

Cut out or paint over mouse cursors, title bars, and other indicators; attention should be drawn using annotations.

Good Example without clutter

Don't

Red X

Leave mismatched colors of other annotations, mouse cursors covering text, or other annotations in place.

Bad example with lots of clutter

 

Obfuscate/Pixellate Personal Information

Whenever possible, personal information should be cut out of an image. When doing so destroys the context, use a pixellate or blur filter to protect your/other people's information.

Do

Green Check

Paint over with the background color, cut out, or use a blur-type filter to keep your and or others' email addresses, passwords, and other information safe. It's also acceptable to replace these parts with 'generic' or 'fake' information (your@email.com, password, etc.).

Good obfuscation

Don't

Red X

Leave personally or company-identifying information intact, or put a solid color block over information.

Bad example of obfuscation

 

Image Diagrams

Diagrams are preferred to actual pictures whenever possible.

Do

Green Check

Use a diagram, such as from a PDF, that's as clean as possible. Without a diagram, use as clean an image as possible. "Image Scrubbing" in various image editing tools to achieve results is encouraged.

Simple diagram of an SD Card

Don't

Red X

Use poor quality, crooked, dirty pictures of actual products.

Bad photo of an SD Card

 

Image Mockups

If no other images can be found other than poor-quality ones, creating a mock-up of a UI element is a better choice.

Do

Green Check

Mock up with simple, yet accurate lines.

Good browser mockup

Don't

Red X

Attempt to recreate complicated backgrounds or other elements that don't add to the understanding of what's going on in an image.

10. Warnings, Notes & Tips

Warning, Note & Tip UsageWithin the instructions of your steps, you may find the need to strongly emphasize a particular detail, provide helpful or supplemental information that isn't directly related to an instruction, or alert the user to something helpful or good to know. We use 'callouts' for these types of situations. The best way to describe this type of information is anything that generally needs to be included, but doesn't really fit within the instructions that are being given.

To Insert a Callout into your GP

  1. Click the Insert WarningInsert Note, or Insert Tips button. A blank callout will appear in your guide.
Warning, note, and tip buttons.

Examples:

Warning / Attention Required
This is used whenever we reach a checkpoint where the customer must absolutely read the text in this box before moving forward. It will often contain critical information or require the customer to be informed of a step before proceeding.

Note
If you have a simple note for a process or screen, such as if it may vary a bit from version to version.

Helpful Tip
This is used to give additional important supplementary information.

11. Guided Path Details

Guided Path DetailsThe Guided Path Details window is where all of the properties of a Guided Path can be altered.

To Access Guided Path Details

  1. Click the Details button.
Details button.
  1. The Guided Path Details pane will appear.
Guided path details pane.

Thumbnail Image

Thumbnail images are used to represent a Guided Path, and should be present within the details page of every Guided Path.

Thumbnail image example.

To set the thumbnail image for your Guided Path, click the Pencil icon within the Guided Path Details page.

Pencil icon.

Thumbnail images must be square, and work best when sized @ 300x300px. Use a unique image that represents the content of each path if possible.

Type

Type represents what type of Guided Path your work would be considered. There are four types to choose from within the Type dropdown box:

  • Guide
  • Setup
  • Repair
  • News

Audience

For the content that we create, the Audience radio button should always be set to Agents & Consumers.

Description

Your Guided Path's Description is very important. The use of good descriptions helps the user establish confidence in the content they're browsing through. It should be thought of as a sort of subtitle to the title of your guide, and something that can be used to verify that the user is in the right place.

Your description should:

  • Be unique. Do not copy the description of another similar guide.
  • It should reasonably summarize the topic of your GP and content within.
  • It should be written in a way that encourages the user to want to click/explore your content. Put yourself in the reader's shoes. Provoke their curiosity. Mention a benefit. Trigger an emotion.

Categories

Specify the Category your Guided Path should be a part of using this field.

Tags

Add the appropriate search tags for your Guided Path within this field.

Brand & Model

Specify the Brands and Models the content of your Guided Path applies to within these fields.

12. Publishing a Guided Path

Publishing a Guided PathWhen your Guided Path has reached completion, it is time to Publish it so it can be accessed by end users.

To Publish your Guided Path

  1. Click the Publish button.
Publish button.
  1. The Publish Path prompt may appear if your work needs to be saved before publishing. Enter any comments you'd like to make, then click OK.
Publish path prompt.
  1. Across the top of the Cloud Designer, you'll see the Status of your Guided Path change to Published.
Guided path status.

To Edit a Published Guided Path

  1. Click the Edit Path button.
Edit path button.
  1. The Edit Version prompt will appear. Click the OK button to proceed with editing.
Edit version prompt.
  1. Across the top of the Cloud Designer, you'll see the Status of your Guided Path change to Draft, and the version number will increase by one.
Guided path status.

  1. The previous version of this Guided Path will remain published and live until this new version is published to replace the old version.
  2. Once you've completed making any changes to your Guided Path, click the Publish button again to publish the new version.
Publish button.