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The changing nature of content

tekom tcworld 2013
Ellis Pratt
Cherryleaf
Saturday, 9 November 2013
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
1. A story....

Saturday, 9 November 2013
We heard a prospect say

Saturday, 9 November 2013
We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...

Saturday, 9 November 2013
We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
friendly...

Saturday, 9 November 2013
We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
friendly...
conversational...

Saturday, 9 November 2013
We heard a prospect say
Wed like our technical user documentation
to be like our marketing documents...
friendly...
conversational...
good.

Saturday, 9 November 2013
We started to
see this
elsewhere

Saturday, 9 November 2013
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
Saturday, 9 November 2013
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
13%
increase

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Was a new model
emerging?

New !

Saturday, 9 November 2013
2. What do we mean by
the traditional approach
to User Assistance?

Saturday, 9 November 2013
The traditional model

Help image: HyperWrite
Saturday, 9 November 2013
The traditional
approaches
Information Mapping
Minimalism
Quick Reader Comprehension
STOP Sequential Thematic
Organization of Publications

From the 1950s-80s
Image: Wikipedia
Saturday, 9 November 2013
The traditional model
Succinct
Clear and unambiguous
Numbered lists
Topic-based writing
Unemotional
Active voice

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Strengths
Easy to understand
Easy to 鍖nd
Translatable
Accurate
Re-usable

Saturday, 9 November 2013
The traditional model is
good for
Safety
Risk
A hierarchical, command
and control, culture
Anxiety
Image: Haynes
Saturday, 9 November 2013
3. Why change?

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Who has been told
this?
No-one reads the
manual

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Why change?
Uncertainty over
its value

Image: Kathy Sierra
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Technology is changing

We feel we are in more control
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Technology is changing
1993

2013

Its more ubiquitous
Saturday, 9 November 2013

Image: Jim CarreyFar
Users are becoming
more competent
They want to do
more than just
function
They want to master
a task
Saturday, 9 November 2013
What motivates people
Autonomy - being in
control of their lives
Mastery - being good at
something
Purpose - something
having meaning

Saturday, 9 November 2013
How we purchase
technology is changing

Image: Google
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Saturday, 9 November 2013
How we purchase
technology is changing
Know
Like
Trust
Try
Buy

Saturday, 9 November 2013
How technology is sold
is changing
Try before you buy
Software as a Service
App abandonment

Saturday, 9 November 2013
How we purchase
technology is changing
Know

Technical
content
User Assistance

Like
Trust
Try
Buy

Saturday, 9 November 2013
How technology is sold
is changing
This may not work
any more

Saturday, 9 November 2013
4. Towards a new model

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Lets look at some
examples

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More submissive

Saturday, 9 November 2013
More submissive

Saturday, 9 November 2013
More conversational

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More conversational

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Its happened before

Saturday, 9 November 2013
But L18N needs took
over

Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com
Saturday, 9 November 2013

2008
But L18N needs took
over

2013
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Progress or regression?

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The importance of
psychology

Image: University of Roehampton
Saturday, 9 November 2013
The importance of
context

Image: Wikipedia
Saturday, 9 November 2013
The importance of
context

Traditional, dominant approach
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Developing a voice and
tone
MailChimp style
guide
VoiceandTone.com

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Developing a voice and
tone

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Developing a voice and
tone

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Developing an
integrated model for
learning, User
Assistance and mastery
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The competence of
users
Unconscious
competence

Mastery
I know how
to do it well
I know Im
incompetent

Conscious
incompetence

I dont know Im
incompetent

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Conscious
competence

Unconscious
incompetence
Traditional UA model
Forums
Screencasts

Users questions & strategies

Body of
knowledge

Making people aware of
their incompetence

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Help

Training
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
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
5. What are the bene鍖ts
for doing this?

Saturday, 9 November 2013
What is our desired
action?
What do we measure?
What is our de鍖nition of success?

Saturday, 9 November 2013
What do we measure?
Correlate with Support calls
Ratings of usefulness
Comments
Usability testing
Task completion
Prospects become customers
Saturday, 9 November 2013
A/B Split testing
13%
reduction in
Support calls

Saturday, 9 November 2013
6. What are the
take-aways?

Saturday, 9 November 2013
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
Summary

No one right answer, you will need to
experiment

Saturday, 9 November 2013
More information

Saturday, 9 November 2013
For more information
(including details on our training course)
ellis@cherryleaf.com
@ellispratt

Saturday, 9 November 2013
Questions?
(I have Jammie Dodgers)

Saturday, 9 November 2013
End

息 Cherryleaf 2013
Images and screenshots 息 their respective owners

Saturday, 9 November 2013

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