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December, 2006
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Documenting for Complete User Experience
by Meghashri Dalvi, STC India Chapter
It is the product release day. You have managed to squeeze in all your
last-minute changes, camouflaged the bugs in the release notes, and put
in the latest screenshots. Your job is done.
One of my favorite mind games is to see when the user will use my documentation.
Will the user read the documentation only when he needs some quick fixes?
Will he open the guide after he is stuck for directions? Or will he open
it before attempting a task? Will he read it to understand more about
the product?
And that essentially describes the concept of complete user experience
of documentation.
Technically speaking, user experience is a term that encompasses the
visual appearance, interactive behavior, and assistive capabilities of
software (Apple Computer 2004). Practically speaking, user experience
is what we relate to, while using the software. Do we enjoy working on
that software? Do we complete our tasks quickly, easily, and efficiently?
Do we intuitively understand what to do in a screen? Do we get appropriate
help for complex and problematic areas? All these contribute to the complete
user experience.
An important point to note is that complete user experience is a sensitive
element that can make or break your product, and needs to be handled extremely
carefully.
Each field goes through various stages of maturity. I believe that for
technical documentation, we are already past the struggling stages where
documentation served as an afterthought and later as a support activity.
We are at a stage where we can actively get involved in providing the
complete user experience—and that is where technical documentation
is heading.
Why do I think so?
- More and more people are using computers, especially the web-based
applications. They look for an easy-to-use interface, and given the
countless options, they stick to sites that offer complete user experience.
- The usability concept is here to stay. It has already moved beyond
the basic 5Es and is gaining respect in the technical community. Eventually
it will be an integrated part of any technical design.
- Organizations are discovering the benefits of well-designed usable
systems that need the least support staff.
- Moreover, the general trend is towards the acceptance that technology
is for everyone, and it must be accessible to all.
Like all good things, complete user experience doesn’t just happen.
It needs to be planned in advance, designed early, and implemented with
extreme passion. How can you go about it?
- Start with users. Understand their personas, and their roles. Create
a matrix of tasks they will perform. Anticipate their needs and expectations.
Use modeling techniques to get under the skin of your users.
- Create user-centric information architecture and work towards meeting
user expectations.
- Use the best-suited documentation delivery such as PDF guides, online
Help, FAQ, searchable database, and case studies.
- Devise a set of guidelines and stick to it with discipline.
- Choose appropriate documentation tools.
- Test for usability. Test for overall consistency of the product and
documentation. Carry iterations until you get the optimum design.
- Test with real users. Note their preferences and choices.
- Rework to achieve the best design.
Testing is the key activity where you assess the work gone into designing
the user experience. It is a tricky, subjective activity driven by three
main aspects:
- Is the help available when needed?
- Is the help really useful to solve the problem?
- Is it possible to escalate to the advanced help/other ways of assistance?
When the documentation passes these simple tests, you are on your way
achieving a great user experience.
Besides the core responsibility of documenting the product, we technical
communicators can contribute further for creating that magical user experience.
Extend your skills to interface text, screen messages, and training.
- Interface Text: Using your language skills, ensure that the
field names are clear and intuitive. Design screen instructions with
a direct, positive tone. Use a minimalist approach. Give users flexibility
and freedom to explore the interface. You will need to work with the
UI designers and developers right from the early stages of the project/product.
- Screen Messages: Provide information about what has happened,
why, and what to do next. A positive tone helps to gain confidence of
the user. Maintain consistency across all types of messages—informative
messages, warnings, and error messages. Help users recognize, analyze,
and recover from errors quickly.
- Training: Although training is not considered an integral part
of the product, effective training or learning aids boost product performance
tremendously. Consider your documentation as a self-learning tool for
the user and design it accordingly. Make efforts to get in more examples,
and step-by-step tutorials. If there are separate training programs,
ensure that the documentation style and theme is extended to these program
contents as well.
These contributions go on adding value, and over time, you can establish
these practices in your organization, making complete user experience
a conscious choice—not an afterthought.
This article was originally published in Indus,
the newsletter of the India Chapter of STC.
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