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Re: Usability Testing, Technical Writing, and Blurred Lines
Subject:Re: Usability Testing, Technical Writing, and Blurred Lines From:"McMARTIN, Robert" <rmcmarti -at- BAEA -dot- COM -dot- AU> Date:Mon, 29 Jun 1998 16:33:58 +0930
Good Morning Carol,
I thought I would pass on to you quite a bit of advice.
1. Don't be afraid of the usability part it goes hand in hand with Tech
Writing. Tech Writers are often the best people to perform usability in
the company as no one else really has any idea of who the users are.
2. Most usability is just common sense (which isn't common at all)
looking at what the developers are offering and coming up with
suggestions.
3. A little bit of usability work will look good on the resume.
4. I would suggest the book "Usability Engineering" by Jakob Neilsen as
something you should become familiar with.
5. Don't fear change run with it. You never know you might enjoyt
being a user advocate.
6. Usability Testing can be done a number of different ways and you
should be able to find something that makes you feel comfortable,
doesn't cost a lot of money and gives satisfactory results.
regards
---------------------------------------------------------------
Robert McMartin
Documentation and Training Development Officer
British Aerospace Australia
677 Victoria Street,
Abbotsford, Victoria,
Australia 3067
61 3 9208 0532
---------------------------------------------------------------
There can be no reconciliation where there is no open warfare.
There must be a battle, a brave boisterous battle, with
pennants waving and cannon roaring, before there can be
peaceful treaties and enthusiastic shaking of hands.
-- Mary Elizabeth Braddon
(1837-1915).
---------------------------------------------------------------
Robert McMartin does not speak on behalf of British Aerospace
Australia and they agree.
