Re: designing software tutorials

["V. Camgros" <camgros -at- mindspring -dot- com>]

Thanks for your thoughts, David. It *is* a pretty cool assignment.

I do know the product, and am learning it better (attending customer training and workshops, etc.). I think we know what features we want to highlight (the sale pitch benefits, plus other items), though that list MUST stay open for a while as we investigate.

I was hoping folks would share their references, as I have been out of the Java world for a little while. But thank you for the encouragement.

This week: gather goals and ideas from the stakeholders. Next week: analyze and vacation. The following week: present plan. 

It's going to be interesting.
Vickie

-----Original Message-----
>From: David Castro <thejavaguy -at- gmail -dot- com>
>Sent: Jun 25, 2007 3:11 PM
>To: "V. Camgros" <camgros -at- mindspring -dot- com>
>Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>Subject: Re: designing software tutorials
>
>Oh! I am *so* jealous! I love developing tutorials. It's my absolute
>favorite thing to do. And I love programming in Java. If I could meld
>those two, I would be absolutely ecstatic. Throw in modular writing,
>and I'd be unable to handle the excitement, and would likely faint.
>
>This, of course, does nothing to help you figure out how to map out
>your course. But that out of the way, I would say that the first thing
>you need to do is know the tool, yourself. Let's assume that you know
>that. Next, I would figure out what features of your tool/api
>library/widget/whatever set it apart from the competition. Then, I
>would figure out how those features would be most advantageous to your
>specific silos (as we call them in gov't... private industry I seem to
>recall calls them vertical markets). Then, I would figure out how to
>make the tutorials such that they get early bang for the buck (think
>"hello world" but better), and that eventually take the person going
>through the tutorial to the place where they're going to be *begging*
>the management to buy the tool/api library/widget/whatever. (Don't
>fall into the wrong thinking only that this will be used by people who
>already have the software... if you do this right, it would SO be good
>as a marketing document!)
>
>Remember, though, that the most important thing to answer throughout
>the tutorial is not "how," but "why!"
>
>Let us know how it goes!
>
>-- 
>-David Castro
> thejavaguy -at- gmail -dot- com
>
>On 6/25/07, V. Camgros <camgros -at- mindspring -dot- com> wrote:
>> Hello colleagues,
>>
>> I seldom post on this list, though I read your discussion with interest and often respond to individuals when I think I might have a contribution. Now I am faced with an opportunity and would like your opinions on how to best respond to it.
>>
>> I work for a small startup that makes Java developer tools. We've recently re-designed the product and now my management wants new product tutorials developed to match.
>>
>> I know that the new tutorials must be modular, written to answer the needs of the specific target audiences, and easy to understand. Beyond that, the field is so completely wide open that it feels like my mind might explode.
>>
>> And so my question to you: How would you go about planning this redesign? What books, web sites, blogs, whathaveyou are essential to informing your efforts when attempting to train your uses to be successful with your products.
>>
>> My thanks in advance for any and all advice. I will attempt a summary post if it seems warranted.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Vickie
>>
>>
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