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>>I am putting together a proposal that outlines the need for a
cross-functional team that designs our software's GUI. I'd like to hear from people who have experiences with this type of team, especially (but not only) if there was a technical writer on the team. <<
In my experience in the current and previous job, it wasn't anything as formal as that.
The developers created a GUI that worked but looked like something you might glimpse on the Addams Family's PC. Then I'm asked to document it, give an involuntarily yelp, redesign it off my own bat, show it to the people in charge, they are surprised it can look like that, and at the next progress meeting the GUI person is charged with implementing the new design (with various tweaks, as required).
Of course, this only works if the person in question is a trained designer with a few years' experience designing data management systems - but given the right person, it beats designing by committee.
- Jonathan Stoppi
Draws the line
stops -at- qualum -dot- com
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