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Japan Manual Award 2011 Japan Manual Award

[ August 2011 ]

Blu-ray/DVD Recorder Quick Start Guide Award of Excellence, Usage Manual Category 1, Printed Manuals Division Design Award

Blu-ray/DVD Recorder Quick Start Guide Award of Excellence, Usage Manual Category 1, Printed Manuals Division Design Award

This guide was designed to help consumers easily start using their new Sony recorder right away, in consideration of the end of Japanese terrestrial analog broadcasting in July 2011 and the shift from VCRs to DVRs. The guide covers initial connections and settings as well as on-screen menu operations.
Information to include was narrowed down through user tests, and the color scheme and other design elements were carefully chosen and repeatedly refined before release, yielding an easy-to-read manual that consumers find themselves wanting to pick up.

WALKMAN NW-S Series WALKMAN Quick Mobile Guide Award of Excellence, On-screen Manual Category 1 Special Award from Final Screening Committee: Award for Mobile Adaptation Excellence in Conceptual Execution

WALKMAN NW-S Series WALKMAN Quick Mobile Guide Award of Excellence, On-screen Manual Category 1 Special Award from Final Screening Committee: Award for Mobile Adaptation Excellence in Conceptual Execution

Here, the designers took on the task of creating a mobile version of a manual usually viewed on a computer, knowing that mobile devices are popular among this player's target market of young adults.
The information to include was narrowed down from the user perspective, enabling new WALKMAN owners to immediately use the player as desired. Toward this end, the designers considered the limited viewing area and avoided having too many levels of content, while introducing keyword searching and scenario-based troubleshooting.
The result is a handy manual that tells users what they want to know about their WALKMAN , whether they are at home or away.

α (alpha) Interchangeable-Lens Digital Camera NEX-5/NEX-3 Shooting Tips Award of Excellence, On-screen Manual Category 2

a (alpha) Interchangeable-Lens Digital Camera NEX-5/NEX-3 Shooting Tips Award of Excellence, On-screen Manual Category 2

This built-in help system, viewable on the camera screen, was designed to help users shoot like a pro. A goal was to give users a sense of achievement as they hone their shooting skills by referring to the tips.
Relevant tips are selected and displayed based on shooting conditions automatically detected by the camera, saving users the trouble of finding useful tips for the current situation. Care was taken to provide sample before-and-after images, so that users know instantly how their choices will affect the shot.

2D/3D Conversion Software MPES-2D3D1 Help Award of Excellence, On-screen Manual Category 1

2D/3D Conversion Software MPES-2D3D1 Help Award of Excellence, On-screen Manual Category 1

A straightforward, no-nonsense help system was envisioned, perfect for software used by broadcast professionals at studios or in OB vans.
To provide information in the optimal form, designers addressed the changing environments of consumers, equipment dealers, and other users. Specifically, in printer-friendly PDF format or smartphone- and tablet-friendly open ebook ePub format alike, information equivalent to the traditional computer help system is provided.

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