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