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Subject:RE: Documenting the user interface From:"Gordon McLean" <Gordon -dot- McLean -at- GrahamTechnology -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:34:08 -0000
Hmmmm.
In the past I would have agreed with you, but these days there is something
to be said for providing 'just enough' documentation to get the user
started, and then working with software development to ensure the UI is as
easy to use as possible. As ever, depends on the user (can we just have that
as a stock answer please!).
A LONG time ago, someone once suggested that one of the key aims of
technical documentation was to make the Support staff redundant. I'd suggest
these days that the job of the UI designer is to make US redundant!
Gordon
-----Original Message-----
From:
techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr
-l.com]On Behalf Of Mike Starr
Sent: 11 January 2007 14:26
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Cc: richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com
Subject: Re: Documenting the user interface
Procedural documentation is absolutely essential... we need to help the user
accomplish the tasks they bought the product to do.
However, to leave users twisting in the wind, resorting to "exploring and
learning", because there is no reference documentation is unconscionable.
Every button, checkbox, radio button, drop-down list box, etc. in a user
interface needs to be explained somewhere in the documentation set. Not only
that but it must be easy for the user to find that explanation when he/she
needs it.
Mike
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>
Subject: RE: Documenting the user interface
Janice Gelb wrote:
> Not sure I agree that "users will wonder" why things exist in
the user interface. I think most users buy a product to
accomplish some task and with very few exceptions, their
interest in the interface is solely related to how to use
it to accomplish that task. That's why I agree that you
don't need to describe every button, tab, field, etc. They
should only be described in the tasks in which they are
used to accomplish something.
I'll go further -- in some cases, you don't even have to exhaustively
describe everything they use to accomplish something. I'd argue that if
"users will wonder," that's not necessarily a bad thing. It can be a very
good thing to encourage exploration and learning.
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