Tuesday, November 24, 2009

User Guide as a Guide

I recently read an article by Michael Hughes called "Users as Decision Makers".

Michael's Blog is here: http://user-assistance.blogspot.com/

The gist is that product documentation often fails in its lack of guidance. In other words, there's too much information on what one can do and not enough information on what one should do.

And it's a very good point.

Knowing that a software setting can go from 1-89 is important, but what are the implications of the different values? What should I set it to so that I achieve my desired outcome?

Maybe this is one of the reasons that product documentation gets a bad rap from user communities; why they hate being told to "consult the manual" before calling for support. Most users of software are very good at recognizing the various interface elements and how they work - drop-down menus, radio buttons, fields and forms - these things don't need to be explained, at least not as much as what users should do with them.

Instead of "Click the drop-down menu and select a value between 1 and 89", a manual should explain how the settings will affect the user's goal. The user guide should really be a guide.

Anyway, Michael's article makes a great point - one that all technical communicators should keep in mind. Read it and I think you'll agree.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

What size are your blinders?


I got a very friendly email recently informing me that my website contained a typo (Thank you again for that, emailer who will remain nameless).

And sure enough it did - a glaring one. Well, at least I'm not in the writing business.  Wait... oh.

Here's the thing - we all have blinders on. We may not be born with them, but we develop them over years of doing the same tasks over and over again. Anyone who has ever poured juice into their cereal or tried to start a running car knows this.

For me, it's all about comfort zones. When you're in a comfort zone, your attentiveness sort of idles. When you're out of a comfort zone, your survival skills kick in, boosting your attention to things around you.

"So what?", you ask? So, be sure to exercise your attention to detail by leaving your comfort zone from time to time. It may not feel productive, but it will likely keep those blinders from growing into the side of your face.