Orr's Aphorisms™. (updated weekly)

• Decision tables/charts are useful, especially in non-linear situations.
• Users expect a new product to operate somewhat like an old product of the same type.
• Often it's useful to show samples of effects you can get with a product, and then give directions for getting those effects.
• There is no magic bullet. One size does not fit all. There is no one approach to documentation and training that works every time.
• Use document structure to layer information for different audiences. This includes hypertext layers in online documents.

David Orr is an award-winning instructional designer with 23 years experience designing and developing technical training for Fortune 1000 companies.