There have been many developments in creating documentation systems, with the assumption that the nature of the content - the tone of voice, the writing style - should remain essentially the same. We investigate whether the tried-and-tested technical communication writing styles from past decades still make sense today. We look at the reasons why some organisations, such as Facebook, Google & Mozilla, might be "breaking the rules" in the User Assistance they provide. We also look at how structured, adaptable, intelligent content becomes important for organisations that do decide to change.
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The changing nature of technical content (tekom tcworld 2013 conference)
1. The changing nature of content
tekom tcworld 2013
Ellis Pratt
Cherryleaf
Saturday, 9 November 2013
2. Overview
1. A story
2. What do we mean by the traditional approach to
User Assistance?
3. Why change? The weakness with the current
approach
4. Towards a new model
5. What are the bene鍖ts for doing this?
Saturday, 9 November 2013
4. We heard a prospect say
Saturday, 9 November 2013
5. We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
Saturday, 9 November 2013
6. We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
friendly...
Saturday, 9 November 2013
7. We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
friendly...
conversational...
Saturday, 9 November 2013
8. We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
friendly...
conversational...
good.
Saturday, 9 November 2013
10. To get fancy with this, you can do use this in
conjunction with the link tool when youre creating your
promotion.
Just click the link tool above the module, and in the place
where it says Link name, you could write: Join my mailing
list.
Then, where it says, http:// and wants you to add you
link, just insert [[subscribe]] and youll be golden.
Saturday, 9 November 2013
12. Setting your home page in Firefox is
easy.
Can't decide on just one page? No problem.
Firefox lets you set a group of websites as your
home page. This article will give you some
examples and step-by-step instructions for
customizing your home page settings to best 鍖t
how you work.
Saturday, 9 November 2013
26. Users are becoming
more competent
They want to do
more than just
function
They want to master
a task
Saturday, 9 November 2013
27. What motivates people
Autonomy - being in
control of their lives
Mastery - being good at
something
Purpose - something
having meaning
Saturday, 9 November 2013
53. A new design for User
Assistance
Users questions & strategies
Community, user generated content
Feed some of this
back into
What is a good choice?
Body of
knowledge
Curiosity
Making people aware of
their incompetence
Saturday, 9 November 2013
54. A uni鍖ed system
Users questions & strategies
Community, user generated content
Body of
knowledge
Making people aware of
their incompetence
Saturday, 9 November 2013
55. 5. What are the bene鍖ts
for doing this?
Saturday, 9 November 2013
56. What is our desired
action?
What do we measure?
What is our de鍖nition of success?
Saturday, 9 November 2013
57. What do we measure?
Correlate with Support calls
Ratings of usefulness
Comments
Usability testing
Task completion
Prospects become customers
Saturday, 9 November 2013
59. 6. What are the
take-aways?
Saturday, 9 November 2013
60. Summary
Technology and users skill are changing
The techniques from 30 years ago may no
longer appropriate
New writing styles are emerging
Saturday, 9 November 2013
61. Summary
No one right answer, you will need to
experiment
Saturday, 9 November 2013