Why steps beat stories 📚
John Carroll's "minimal manual" (IBM, 1980s): people don't read manuals, they try to act immediately. His task-first, stripped-down manuals let learners master basics in roughly 40% less time than the classic thick ones 📉
Jakob Nielsen (1997): 79% of users scan a page instead of reading it word by word 👀 Numbered steps are built for scanners
IKEA figured this out long ago 🪑 Assembly instructions with almost no words, sold in 60+ countries without translation. A step is universal, a story needs a language
Three bonuses nobody talks about 💡
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Steps are a design test 🧪
If an app needs 8 steps to explain, the app is too complex. If it needs 2, the design is working. Writing steps audits the product -
Steps are ready-made test scripts ✅
Every description doubles as a QA checklist. Follow the steps, if one breaks, you found a bug. -
AI agents can follow steps 🤖.
A story is for humans only. Numbered steps can be executed by both. That's future-proof documentation.
One thing to add: the failure path ⚠️.
"Port in use" example is the gold . People rarely search "how does it work," they search "why doesn't it work." A short "If X happens → do Y" line under the steps is often the most useful part.
Format idea 📐
Album app
1. Tap +.
2. Name the room.
3. Type a friend's username.
4. Tap Create room.
5. Tap + Add photo and upload.
📏 Limit: 12 photos per room. Adding a 13th removes the oldest.
Who can do what
1. 👤 You: upload, delete any photo.
2. 👥 Friend: upload, delete own photos.
3. ⚠️ Friend skipped? → They need a Multipass, or your free seat.
Is this step format clear?
Does it make sense?