Creating effective illustrations for pictorial assembly instructions

Pictorial assembly instructions are a common element of many consumer products however there is very little research published about their design, particularly regarding the creation of effective illustrations. This paper reviews published work that offers best practice guidelines for the design of pictorial assembly instructions. The application of the guidelines is discussed in the context of a project to design assembly instructions for a flat pack wheelchair for distribution in developing countries. The paper will present findings from diagnostic testing with users in Sri Lanka.