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Nancy, I can't get a sense of whether you mean strictly innovative output format or innovative content design (information design). A "Chutes and Ladders"-style poster-size infographic is innovative information design (presentation). eBooks and wikis are, at least today, somewhat innovative output formats. HTML Help was innovative in its day but no longer. So delivery of documentation is changing with the times, but I've found that the most useful, well-done, and innovative pieces (both consumed and created) have broken out of the mold of traditional content models. For example, they tend to be more graphic, or involve interaction or multi-media in some way -- and so are usually more time-and-labor intensive and costly.
Just my 2c.
Steve
PS - I suppose if you had the skills you could write a poetic or literary user doc and that would be a more innovative use of text.
-----Original Message-----
From: On Behalf Of Nancy Allison
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 7:06 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Most innovative user doc output
Hi, all.
I'm trying to free myself of old assumptions about user documentation, so I'd like to canvass the group to find out what user doc you've seen recently that struck you as (1) useful and well done and (2) innovative in some way. Something beyond the usual PDF/online help combo, in other words.
Have you seen user info provided in i-Phone apps, Twitter, e-book format, wikis?
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
--Nancy
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