A Self-Help Guide (SHG) can be laid out in one to three column format depending on the scope of the content.
Multi-Column Self-Help Guide
A multi-column self-help guide can be used to convey a robust understanding of a tool or a process. Multiple columns are also useful if content needs to be divided into related but separate categories.
Single-Column Self-Help Guide
A single-column self-help guide can be used to address a specific problem or a limited set of instructions.
Structure of Columns
The structure of a column resembles an outline: major categories, sub-categories and supporting resources being linked at the lowest level. Resource links can go to an article for further reading, a website, or to media files.
Displayed Content Inline in a Single-Column Self-Help Guide
An effective use of the single-column self-help guide is to display the step-by-step instructions inline instead of as a linked resource.
