Documenting for Complete User Experience

By Meghashri Dalvi

It is the Product Release day. You have managed to squeeze in all your last-minute changes, camouflaged the bugs in the release notes, and put in the latest screenshots. Your job is done.

One of my favorite mind games is to see when the user will use my documentation. Will the user read the documentation only when he needs some quick fixes? Will he open the guide after he is stuck for directions? Or will he open it before attempting a task? Will he read it to understand more about the product?

And that essentially describes the concept of complete user experience of documentation.

Technically speaking, User Experience is a term that encompasses the visual appearance, interactive behavior, and assistive capabilities of software (Apple Computer). Practically speaking, user experience is what we relate to, while using the software. Do we enjoy working on that software? Do we complete our tasks quickly, easily, and efficiently? Do we intuitively understand what to do in a screen? Do we get appropriate help for complex and problematic areas? All these contribute to the complete user experience.

An important point to note is that complete user experience is a sensitive element that can make or break your product, and needs to be handled extremely carefully.

Each field goes through various stages of maturity. I believe that for technical documentation, we are already past the struggling stages where documentation served as an afterthought and later as a support activity. We are at a stage where we can actively get involved in providing the complete user experience – and that is where the technical documentation is heading.

Why do I think so?

• More and more people are using computers, especially the web-based applications. They look for an easy-to-use interface, and given the countless options, they stick to sites that offer complete user experience.
• The usability concept is here to stay. It has already moved beyond the basic 5Es and is gaining respect in the technical community. Eventually it will be an integrated part of any technical design.
• Organizations are discovering the benefits of well-designed usable systems that need the least support staff.
• Moreover, the general trend is towards the acceptance that technology is for everyone, and it must be accessible to all.

Like all good things, complete user experience doesn’t just happen. It needs to be planned in advance, designed early, and implemented with extreme passion. How can you go about it?

• Start with users. Understand their personas, and their roles. Create a matrix of tasks they will perform. Anticipate their needs and expectations. Use modeling techniques to get under the skin of your users.
• Create user-centric information architecture and work towards meeting user expectations.
• Use the best-suited documentation delivery such as PDF guides, online Help, FAQ, searchable database, and case studies.
• Devise a set of guidelines and stick to it with discipline.
• Choose appropriate documentation tools.
• Test for usability. Test for overall consistency of the product and documentation. Carry iterations until you get the optimum design.
• Test with real users. Note their preferences and choices.
• Rework to achieve the best design.

Testing is the key activity where you assess the work gone into designing the user experience. It is a tricky, subjective activity driven by three main aspects:

1. Is the help available when needed?
2. Is the help really useful to solve the problem?
3. Is it possible to escalate to the advanced help / other ways of assistance?

When the documentation passes these simple tests, you are on your way achieving a great user experience.

Besides the core responsibility of documenting the product, we technical communicators can contribute further for creating that magical user experience. Extend your skills to Interface Text, Screen Messages, and Training.

• Interface Text: Using your language skills, ensure that the field names are clear and intuitive. Design screen instructions with a direct, positive tone. Use a minimalist approach. Give users flexibility and freedom to explore the interface. You will need to work with the UI designers and developers right from the early stages of the project / product.
• Screen Messages: Provide information about what has happened, why, and what to do next. A positive tone helps to gain confidence of the user. Maintain consistency across all types of messages — informative messages, warnings, and error messages. Help users recognize, analyze, and recover from errors quickly.
• Training: Although training is not considered an integral part of the product, effective training or learning aids boost product performance tremendously. Consider your documentation as a self-learning tool for the user and design it accordingly. Make efforts to get in more examples, and step-by-step tutorials. If there are separate training programs, ensure that the documentation style and theme is extended to these program contents as well.

These contributions go on adding value, and over time, you can establish these practices in your organization, making complete user experience a conscious choice – not an afterthought.

(Meghashri Dalvi is Documentation Executive at Savvion, India.)

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