RE: The Never Ending Saga: Screenshots

["Giordano, Connie" <Connie -dot- Giordano -at- FMR -dot- COM>]

Eric,

Good suggestions on other ways to capture screens, but I just can't agree
with you on the last point.  Until usability is a major pre-requisite of
software design, and until more product developers understand how users will
work with their products, somebody has to work with it to get a true feel
for the kinds of questions that get asked and the trouble that can be gotten
into.  That often falls on the technical communicators' shoulders, because
they're better at it than most of the other professionals on a project team.

Real world experience tells me that no matter how good the specs are,
something always needs to be changed, usually at the last minute.  With
working prototypes and functional software, access to QA, product management
and developers, you have a much better shot at not only keeping up, but
helping to set the direction.  Besides most of the software folks I know
think I can turn around a 500 page user guide in a week. Kind of difficult
under any circumstances, much less without working software or complete
specs.

I have to train them right and keep them honest!  Give me the software, no
matter what state it's in.

MTC

Connie Giordano

-----Original Message-----
From: edunn -at- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com
[mailto:edunn -at- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 1:42 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: The Never Ending Saga: Screenshots




[snip]
Doesn't software creation require the design of the various screens outside
the
executable? Don't the various development packages create and save the
various
screens, forms, and menus in some fashion?
A huge advantage is if some kind of source for the screens is available,
documentation can be finished before the program is functional. So unless
your
group is adding functionality, buttons, etc. at the last minute and not just
trying its best to make the software usable and work according to
specifications, there is actually very little need for functional software
to
write the manuals.

Eric L. Dunn




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