From the course: Technical Writing: Quick Start Guides

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Write clear headings

Write clear headings

From the course: Technical Writing: Quick Start Guides

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Write clear headings

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- Have you ever driven through one of those subdivisions where the street names are unremarkable and too similar? It's disorienting to be driving on Greenwood Street and to pass Greenwood Way and Greenwood Court. It's easy to get lost. Stay with me here while I compare suburban street names to the headings you write in your quick-start guide. Headings are the street names for your guide. They help users know where they are in the guide and what type of information you're providing. Here's an example of a quick-start guide that has five clear useful headings. Why do these headings work? Because the wording is clear and specific. Each heading includes a verb. When a group of words has a verb in it, it becomes a clause, and a clause is more concrete than a phrase. Each heading is a complete thought. The headings don't trail off. Each heading stands on its own to express a complete idea. Each heading will help the user decide whether to read or even to skip a section. Let's do an…

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