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I will look into creating CSH on the field level.
This was not an option I had considered.
Regarding drop-down text, I will definitely check whether or not search
skips it when I get back to the office.
The reason I use it is to prevent the following scenario:
Step 1 - Go to random page
Step 2 - Open random system module
Step 3 - Optional. Select this complicated option, which many but not all
of our users need selected.
3 paragraphs plus example explaining what it does and what will happen if
the option is selected.
Step 4 - Select mandatory options: A, B, and C.
Step 5 - Click Save and Exit.
I do not want to make a simple task more long and complicated than it
actually is and prevent information overload.
If the additional information is a paragraph or less, it will appear as a
note. If the additional information takes up more space, I make it
collapsible. And while in theory, I could make the additional information,
a separate concept topic, doing so would put it even further away from my
user.
The advantage of what I am proposing, is users who only need the additional
information hidden in the drop-down will be able to access it more easily.
CSH on the field level will also support this so I'll look into it.
Yehoshua
On Tue, Sep 5, 2017 at 8:54 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
wrote:
> When it's useful to have a CSH link for a field, option, or other UI
> element, I use the same help call as for page-level help calls.
> Sometimes the target should be an anchor within a topic rather than
> the top of the topic.
>
> It can also be helpful to embed a CSH call to the relevant anchor in
> the tooltip.
>
> Implementing an in-between CSH call somewhere between a tooltip and
> the full online help system seems to me beyond the point of
> diminishing returns. If the information the customer wants isn't
> there, how many clicks does it take to get to the relevant topic in
> the full system?
>
> "One of the pain points for both customers and support is that
> frequently information they need is buried in a procedure topic
> sometimes as drop-down text."
>
> Lose the collapsed text.
>
> As a user, I've always found drop-down text in help topics a terrible
> idea. I can't skim to find the information I need, and in some cases
> the search missed hits in collapsed text. What's the user benefit that
> offsets that?
>
> On Tue, Sep 5, 2017 at 12:45 AM, yehoshua paul <ysp10182 -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> > Okay, I just made up the term in the subject line. If it already exists
> and
> > I'm using it correctly then yay for me. If not then keep reading and I'll
> > explain.
> > TL:DR I want to add pop-ups with help content to our system. My boss
> wants
> > to know what other companies do.
> >
> > I am looking for various ways to improve our customer's experience when
> it
> > comes to finding the information they need while using our system. We
> have
> > a web-based SaaS software application for travel companies. I use
> Robohelp
> > 2015 to create a responsive online help.
> > One of the pain points for both customers and support is that frequently
> > information they need is buried in a procedure topic sometimes as
> drop-down
> > text.
> > Example: We have a corporate client account page. The page has five
> > expanders in which you can enter various information and activate certain
> > options for the account. Our customer needs to know additional
> information
> > on a specific option on that page. This information is often 2-4 clicks
> > away, sometimes hidden as drop-down text.
> > Why?
> > The user first needs to open the online help (first click)
> > The context sensitive topic contains a general overview of the page with
> > links to relevant procedures and a reference topic listing all the fields
> > and options on the page.
> > The user then does one of the following:
> >
> > - (Hopefully) opens the link to the correct topic (second click),
> > scrolls, and finds information.
> > - Searches for the field (second click), in the search results, opens
> > the correct topic (third click), scrolls and finds the information).
> > - Opens the index (second click), finds the keyword for the field and
> > clicks on the correct entry to see a list of topics (third click),
> opens
> > the correct topic (hopefully), (fourth click), scrolls and finds the
> > information.
> >
> > I would like to reduce this to one click.
> > I am on the product team. I can make changes to our system pending
> approval
> > from my boss.
> > I proposed the following change:
> > Next to specific fields and options in our system, we will add an icon.
> > When users click on the icon a pop-up will open listing all the relevant
> > information on that field. This will not be a tooltip. We already have
> > tooltips. Tooltips are short, and when you move the mouse, it disappears.
> > The pop-ups will be for fields and options that contain a paragraph or
> more
> > of information, and users can close them when they are done reading.
> > Therefore, I have dubbed them "context sensitive pop-ups."
> > The change should be easy to implement, as this is basically UI work. The
> > main issue will be maintenance when information needs to be changed in
> the
> > pop-up, but again since this is UI, it won't be a lot of work for
> > developers, and it doesn't happen that frequently.
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