The Seven Deadly Assumptions of Technical Communication - William Rice

Years ago, as a young programmer/analyst on a project leader’s course, I made an assumption during a team exercise. Not a crucial mistake, you would think. I assumed that I had all the information I needed to complete the exercise. I also assumed that the exercise was about interviewing a potential employee. In fact, the exercise was actually about the danger of not identifying and confirming assumptions before blindly rushing on with the task at hand.



In this article, I identify seven areas in the field of technical communication where unconfirmed assumptions can lead to a waste of time and money and also undermine your credibility. Read more

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Useful links for technical communicators

http://www.prc.dk/user-friendly-manuals/ufm/linklist.htm has some great links/resources. This resource is Edited by Peter Ring, PRC - Peter Ring Consultants, Denmark.

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Dictionary of Plain Language

Found this on techcommunicators.com. To check out the dictionary go straight to: http://www.techcommunicators.com/diction.html Hope you find it useful.

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Online Help: Choosing a Tool

There was discussion on the TWIN mailing list about online help and Alfred had this to say about that:

Hi

Another issue with .chm is that you (the end user) have to download the entire file when you're accessing the help system. That might not be such a good idea if your users are accessing the app over a network. Usually for web-based applications people tend to use a HTML-based help system (like WebWorks Help 3.0) or just plain HTML with searching and indexing capabilities.

I would advise you to think about these issues (and others) before picking a tool or a format. RoboHelp might be used by everyone in India (just as an example) but it might not be the best tool for you. Maybe AuthorIT does what you want. Evaluate the tool, its limitations and whether it does what you want it to do. I guess what I am trying to say is that you should make an informed decision.

Alfred

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User Manual for Building Your Own Plane

The manual is actually an image. Check it out and let me know if you liked it! ->Build Your Own Plane<-

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How to save your client $1600 per task per year through Usability Testing

I have noticed quite a few mails asking how to conduct a usability test or how to interpret the results of a test. I thought it'd be a good idea to give you all a set of documents that resulted out of a usability test. I have changed the actual information for reasons of confidentiality, but it should give you a good insight of what a usability test is all about.

What is a usability test?

It is testing your product on actual users to find out 1)If your product is easy to use 2)If the navigation is user-friendly 3)Get 'feature' ideas to improve your product 4)If users were able to perform their tasks efficiently, and within acceptable time limits, and 5)To measure the 'joy of use'

To me, the most important metric is the 'task-time': When a user is taking longer to perform a particular task, that means something's wrong; could be the navigation or it could be the color scheme you chose or a combination of such common mistakes. Why is task-time important? If you can reduce the task-time of a particular task by say 30 seconds, and your product is used by a 100 strong company; and this task is a daily task, performed at least once... you have saved your client from a productivity loss of: 50 minutes per day. OR slightly over 4 hours per week. Assuming all 100 are paid $10 per hour. We are looking at savings of $40 per week PER TASK. And if your client works for 40 weeks in a year, you are looking at $1600 savings only on a simple task that users perform on your product. I may be indulging in some wishful thinking here, and maybe my math is terrible, but whichever way you look at it, usability does save money. There are other reasons why usability testing should be adopted in your development process, but I choose not to discuss them now. Shall write a separate piece on that later.

What is the Think Aloud method?

1)Identify actual/representative users (five users is my advice)

2)Make a list of tasks (example: Search and find the currency of Honolulu)

3)Choose a location where your users are comfortable; a location that reflects their working environment.

4)Notify users about your usability test. Send invites. Follow it up with a phone call or e-mail and confirm their participation.

5)Explain that they are not being tested, the product is being tested. Give them the tasks. Ask them to keep thinking aloud (say it as soon as a thought enters your mind!). And YOU shut-up!

6)Observe users. Their expressions. Those small clicks of the tongue indicating frustration. Those non-verbal hints (scratching one's scalp rapidly, in one short burst OR those little shrugs indicating helplessness) NOTE IT DOWN. ALL OF IT. Tell them they can abort a task anytime they want to.

7)Use a Dictaphone to record comments. Note down the time per task. (check with them if you can tape them)

8)Take the satisfaction survey (to figure out the 'joy of use' of the lack of it thereof)

9)Thank them and give them a nice gift (some people give cash, but I give dinner coupons)

10)Repeat steps 1 to 9 for all five users.

11)Sleep on it. Compile a report next day.

Usability Testing DOs

*Smile. Be a friend. Don't be this geeky dick. No one likes them.

*Observe. I can't stress its importance enough. You got to be a keen observer. You have to record what was 'unsaid' too my friend.

*Listen: Talk less. Do more. Give non-verbal cues to the user like nodding the head or through 'uh-uh?' 'Oh yes.' 'and?' 'hmmmhmmm?' You know.

Usability Testing DONTs

#Don't help the user perform the task. We are here to find out how 'intuitive' the product is.

#Don't crowd on the user. Give him/her the privacy that is needed.

#Don't interrupt when the user it talking to you. Your words can wait.

#Don't get too personal.

[These are by no means comprehensive. I am just jotting down whatever came to my mind. If you have some more, do contribute. Mail me to learn how]

Usability testing: Sample reports

->Download Sample Documents<-<

The zipped file contains:

1)Participation Questionnaire

2)Task-time report

3)Satisfaction survey

4)Task-sheet example

->Download Sample Documents<-

Disclaimer: Most of the surveys were based on the STC usability kit. I am still working on customizing these documents for my use. So use your discretion.

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Job posting: Thanks to the TWIN List

I haven't linked the e-mail ids and instead of '@' I have used 'at' this is to prevent the spam-bots from picking up the e-mail ids. Don't want the Quinnox guys ending up with great offers for penis enlargement - suman

> Quinnox urgently requires Communicators for its Mumbai operations.Quinnox, a global Business Solutions group headquartered in the US, is focused on providing high-technology solutions and services to world-wide clients in the areas of e-Business, ERP, Enterprise Value Chain Solutions and Outsourcing. Our services include world-class software development, consulting, systems implementation, integration and outsourcing.

> Our unique strength is our long-term relationship with customers, who have benefited from our end-to-end IT solutions. We stand differentiated by our emphasis on a service-management culture of speed & flexibility, trust & integrity.

> Since its inception in 1996, Quinnox has successfully executed over 400 software consulting, development and implementation projects in over 38

> countries. Our operations are executed from 9 International offices and 3 world-class Global Solution Centers.

For more information, visit http://www.quinnox.com



TECHNICAL EDITOR/WRITER

Job Description:

> - Editing/writing of business proposals, software project document deliverables including system 'Help', white papers, quality-related documents - both software and other function-related.

> - Creating templates for various categories of technical documents.Providing in-house training in technical documentation.

> Qualifications: Graduate/Post-graduate with an added qualification in Journalism/Mass Communications/Technical Documentation; Very good communication and interpersonal skills; adequate experience with word-processing/document designing/publishing tools. Five years of related work experience in the IT industry.

> E-mail your resume to: career(at)quinnox.com by 31st January 2003.

>

> ***************************************************************

> Quinnox Consultancy Services Ltd.

> (Formerly iS3C Consultancy Services Ltd.)

> 170, SDF VI, SEEPZ, Andheri(E)

> Mumbai 400 096, INDIA.

> Tel: +91 22 2829 0100, Extn.253

> Cell:+91 9820093589

> Fax: +91 22 2829 1131

> E-mail: virend(at)quinnox.com

> www.quinnox.com

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