Five Output Formats to Support

Some output formats to consider your application, they each have different properties and affordances and are not easily substituted for each other :

  1. Screen
  2. E-Mail
  3. Projector
  4. Print
  5. Fax

Screen

  • Most common way that users will interact in everyday use.
  • This is how many prospects will view the product.

E-mail output options

  • Simple hypertext (e.g. URLs as footnotes)
  • Text in monospace Font with 60 character line limit

Projector / PowerPoint or HTML that drives presentation at lower resolution

  • The developers typically design and develop on high resolution monitors, most of your demos will be given at a lower resolution on a projector. Make sure both look good.
  • Your users may want to run your application on the projector during a group meeting, test this.

Print – color or gray scale

  • Many senior managers are most concerned with how this looks, as it is the way that they are used to consuming information.

Fax – true black and white

  • Test this, some patterns create problems, many shades are indistinguishable when printed in black and white.

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