Re: Nudge (=process improvement)

[Ken Poshedly <poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net>]

I don't know if this qualifies as a "low-tech nudge", but way back in 
the mid-1980s, I wrote user guides for personal computer peripherals 
such as expanded memory boards (remember them?) and the like. After 
physically installing the hardware, setting the DIP switches and 
getting the computer up and running once more, one had to run through 
some software procedures to finish the setup procedure. (This was 
during the DOS-only, pre-Windows world of 640K maximum RAM.)

There was only one tech writer on staff (the previous one left to 
take a job in advertising) and I was his replacement.

What I found were half-size manuals (8 1/2 x 5.5 in.) filled with 
Helvetica (or Arial, if you prefer). And I already knew from previous 
studies that body text was far more readable in serif type fonts, and 
that sans serif fonts were best suited for short blocks of text such 
as headlines, "lift-outs" (short pieces of text within the main 
flow), and even flow charts.

I also knew from personal experience and various anecdotal evidence 
that most (but not all) of those installing / using these products 
were probably in a generally poorly lit area (where additional 
illumination would help not only in reading the user guide, but in 
correctly installing the product).

There wasn't much I could do to make the user turn on more lights. 
And I also couldn't change corporate management's mind about the 
physical page dimensions, but I did implement at least three new practices:

1. I changed to a sans serif font for all body text; in particular, I 
chose Souvenir, because I had used it previously, it is very similar 
to Times New Roman (which is itself already a very familiar font), 
but it is different without being odd or too noticeable.

2. I increased the body text size from the standard 10 point to 
either 11 points; so instead of text as 10 over 11 points, it was 11 
over 12 points.

3. I added a glossary of some general computer terms and terms 
specific to the product at hand.

The changes made the text (thus the procedures) more legible and less 
apt to cause eye fatigue, and if there were increased page counts in 
the various user guides, the increased cost was minimal. The glossary 
aided in preventing confusion by computer novices (most people in those days).

Yes I know "everybody" thinks it's trendy to use Helvetica (Arial) 
for _everything_; yes I know that there may have been an increased 
cost (though negligible) in producing those 50-page booklets; yes I 
know the different type font might raise a few eyebrows, but in my 
mind, it made the user guides more user friendly and thus, more apt to be used.

This, in turn, meant a higher rate of a successful product 
installation by the user and thus, a more satisfied user who will 
recommend this company to his friends.

One of my former employers adopted the catch phrase "Make it easy to 
do business with your customer."  I like that.

-- Ken in Atlanta



At 11:07 AM 5/16/2007, Writers Book Mall wrote:
>Today's New York Times has a story about low-tech
>process improvements (i.e. nudges) in the world of
>medicine:
>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/business/16leonhardt.html
>
>At a hospital in San Francisco, they took note of
>statistics of patients dying from pneumonia because
>they were lying flat in bed. So they made a rule that
>unless there were a reason not to, all patients, even
>unconscious ones, should have the heads of their beds
>in the raised position. As a result, the incidence of
>pneumonia is down by 40%.
>
>In the world of tech writing, what low-tech nudges do
>you do or might you do if you were to implement
>improvements that you know need to be made?
>
>Steve
>
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