TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Test Plan as User Doc??? From:"Misti Tucker USAET(UTC -04:00)" <mtucker2 -at- E-MAIL -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 6 May 1997 17:57:34 EDT
Hi folks, I hope one or two of you have some creative ideas for me on this
one.My client has decided that having me do three projects (a test plan, a
user doc, and a help system) would be too expensive. Their solution? They've
decided to try to combine the user guide with the test plan. on the left hand
page a description of the module and what it does, on the right hand page a
test plan for the screen, which the user is supposed to sort through for
information about how to perform the functions on that screen. (Oh boy! Three
ways to do it wrong for step to do it right. What fun!)
This strikes me a really bad idea, and I've warned them about how much
usability they'll sacrifice doing it this way, but they seem pretty sold on
their plan so I need to think up ways to make it a little easier on the user,
just in case reason fails.
Have any of you tacked something like this? How did it work out? Did you have
any luck making the abomination usable?
Thanks in advance!
Misti Tucker
Technical Communication mta -at- cyberspace -dot- org (h)
& Help System Design mtucker2 -at- e-mail -dot- com (w)
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html