Background

By 2003, Palm handheld hardware and software were becoming far more complicated than those on the original Palm Pilot. Users were often completely unaware of many of the features of the new models. But there was no OS-level help system. As a stopgap measure I proposed a series of device tours to help familiarize users with their new handhelds.

The project

I designed Quick Tours for the Tungsten T, Tungsten W, Tungsten C, Zire 71, and for all of Palm's 2004 product line. All tours used high-quality imagery, screen shots, and animations to give users a product overview and basic instructions for using their new handhelds.

Zire 71 Quick Tour

For this Quick Tour I designed, wrote, and produced fully-animated sequences showing users how to take a photo and use the new 5-way navigator in a number of applications.

Next-generation Quick Tours

The response to the Quick Tours was very positive. Over time I evolved the design by using type, color, and layout to help keep the user oriented as they browsed the application.