The development of a HyperCard application program, "Connecting to Your MARS Account," is described. The program was intended to assist users of the biomedical computer system at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), the Medical ARchival System (MARS), to connect to their computer accounts. Criteria from instructional, graphical, and message design were used. The criteria associated with instructional design were increasingly implemented as the project progressed. The complexity of the information involved required careful attention to readability and spacing in the screens and to graphical design. Message design concerns a deliberate problem-solving process, with an emphasis on perception, memory, concept learning, and attitude. The program was developed for HyperCard and will be evaluated. Initial trial tests indicate certain points of difficulty, but overall suitability for motivated users. The project continues with evaluative observations of users. (Contains 23 references.) (SLD)