1. Remember The User!

2. We started with a book.
There were copies around somewhere for training and reference.
3. So we thought about the user.
What does the user need to do?
What s the work environment like?
What info does the user need?
Right information.
Right place.
Right time.
Right media.
(Saul Carliner)
4. Users goal
Accomplish Work
Job
#1

Successfully

5. Efficiently(John Bowie)
6. Sorter video help and training was born.
We delivered what the user needed and when.
We tied the information to maintenance and error messages.
It was displayed at the operator workstation.
AND it demonstrated tasks through video.
7. An End-User
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7D69la8uec
8. A Modern User
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReDRHDYhk8
End-users are not new.
But through the industrial revolution, we all become one.
Moores Law applies not only to transistor packing density,
it describes the technology complexity curve we face.
9. http://carteblancheleeway.wordpress.com
10. COMPLEXITY
11. Frustrated?Frustrated.
My file. (Where did it go?)
I know WHAT I need do.Just tell me HOW.
Why is this so #&*$*!tough?
I know I just saw that somewhere.
OLAP cube, transactional replication; ADAM vs AD LDS
Cmon, I just want to see the clipboard.
Who wrote this?
ASP.NET is part of the .NET Framework for coding in any CLR-compatible language including VB and C# to benefit from runtime, type safety, inheritance, and so on.
Huh?!?
HELP!!!
Do we need training yes.Is it complex yes!
12. Lead the charge.
Lead the change.
13. Ask Not what Technology can do for You.
Ask what YOU can do
for Technology.
Remember The User!
14. Yeah, Right.
15. A.D.A.P.T.
Avocation
Dedication
Alternatives
Process
Team
Change our thinking.
Change our approach.
Not just documentation
as usual.
Focus on end-users.
Design and usable products pay:
Whats good for the customer is good for business.
16.

Special Interest

17. Pursuit Thesaurus.com
CareerMore
Calling
Lifes work
Lets make a difference.
Avocation
18. Advocation - Technical Communicator
Disciplines to Practice and Learn From
Style and grammar
Graphics / Presentation
User and task analysis audience
Usability & user-centered design
Instructional Design
Performance Support
Online Help / User Assistance
Information Design and Technology
TIPS!Always orient your users.Paint the big picture.
Lead users to the information they need.
Be clear, accurate, and complete.(cac)
19. Dedication
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-7Vu7cqB20
Eric Liddell
User Advocate / User Proxy / User Hero
20. Alternatives
Approach:
Focus on critical tasks.
Set conceptual context.
Define terms.
Get UI to do its job.
Provide access and pathways to information (delivery, availability, search, hypertext).
Use training to go deep.
Design & manage support.*
Create & monitor collaborative spaces.*
*Where I intend to place some new focus.
Be the user.
Use the product.
Test the product.
Know the user.
Talk to users.
Watch users.
Do informal testing.
Engage QA or support people.
Seek out new users that fit the audience.
21. Follow a Process
Engage in design processes.
Develop an information plan.
Write with the user in mind.
Review & test.
The Deming Cycle (Wikipedia)
Incorporate lessons learned.
22. The Vision of Teams
Developers
Quality assurance folks
Support personnel
Peers
Directors/managers
Technology specialists
Marketing
Training developers & trainers
http://www.media-partners.com/teams/the_vision_of_teams.htm
User information is part of the product.
Foster collaboration to get there.
23. In Conclusion
Let serving your end-users be your motivation and passion.
Someone, somewhere will thank you.
24. Resources
Technical Writing
The Elements of Technical Writing, Blake
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications
Dictionaries (American Heritage, Websters); A good grammar guide
Users and Usability
User and Task Analysis for Interface Design, Hackos
A Practical Guide to Usability Testing, Reddish
Usability Testing Essentials: Ready, Set Test!Barnum (Pretty new looks good)
Design
Personas (check out menoinnovations.com not a plug)
Usability Engineering, Nielsen
The Design of Everyday Things, Norman
Content Management looking: Enterprise Content Management, Cameron?
The Inmates Are Running the Asylum, Cooper
Planned New Additions to My Reading List
Conversation and Community:The Social Web for Documentation, Gentle
Letting Go of the Words. Reddish
Rocket Surgery Made Easy, Krug
About Face 3:The Essentials of Interaction Design, Copper
Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics, Tullis
25. Discussion
New day.New paradigms may be called for.Assess whats worked and what hasnt.Whats needed?DIY Help?Users still dont read.We are explorers by nature.
Collaboration.How can we make it work in the work place?Is it confined to special interests?How can we better engage users?User support.
26. Bio
Dave Robbins has enjoyed a long career as a technical writer, recently joining GE Intelligent Platforms as a Lead Help Author after many years with Unisys Corporation.He has won a number of STC awards for documentation as well as training videos, including a regional Best of Show for a video-rich help system.