Usable Help: Is it really possible?
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Transcript of Usable Help: Is it really possible?
Usable Help: It really is possible!
Deborah E-S HemstreetTechnical Communication Specialist & ConsultantEditorial Assistant, Rambam Maimonides Medical JournalEnglish Writer/Editor, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 1
MegaCom, February 27, 2014Jerusalem, Israel
A Little Bit About Me
Debbie (Shapiro) Hemstreet+20 years experience in technical communicationL.P.N.BA in Special EducationMA in Technical CommunicationSpecializing in medical devices and medical writing
This presentation is about a successful Help project documenting Mac-deployed Bible Software
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 2
Uhhh, hello?
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 3
That has NOTHING to do with your field of
expertise!
Assumption 1:
Assumption 2: How Users Perceive Help
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Assumption 3: Our Perception of Help
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Assumption 4:The Client's Perception of Help
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 6
Help should be a team effort
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Technical Communiator
Client SMEs End-Users
UseableHelp
Well We ALL Knew THAT
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 8
Basics: What makes help usable?
Ease-of-Use (Design)
Comprehensible Content
Multiple Points of Access
Knowledge is Power
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 9
Our Design Considerations
How is the Help accessed?Where is the Help accessed?Can the Help be searched?Is there a table of contents?What about an index?
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Caveat: Rare Opportunity
Established client relationshipBeginning of new projectUnusual client
Respected the TC’s knowledgeWilling to invest in long-term solutionCustomer-centric approach to design
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 11
Background Information
Client: OakTree Software, Altamonte Springs, FLProduct: Accordance Bible SoftwareEnd-Users
University professorsRabbis, Priests, PastorsBible translatorsEveryday people like us
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 12
The Client’s Request
Can you take over our Help? By the way,
it has to be created for and on a Mac...On a MAC?!
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The Client’s Next Request
By the way, we have something called an Emulator for PCs.
The Help needs to work on that too.
Create the Helpon a MAC?!
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 14
Lewis Caroll Logic
Mac makes everything easyIf it’s easy, you don’t need HelpMac’s don’t need Help
But some peopleNEED help…
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 15
Sample of Mac Help Today
No IndexLimited SearchTOC not self-evidentLimited browsingThis is betterthan in 2010!
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©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 18
Customer’s Complained
The Client’s Next Request
Please don’t rewrite everything yet.Just import from Word.
Then rewrite…
Import all that from Word?
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 19
First Tasks
Convince client to develop on a PCFind a HAT that:
Tested outputs in Safari browser on a MacImports easily from WordLow learning curveAffordable (to me and client)
In 2010, only one HAT tested in Safari on a Mac: MadCap Flare!
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 20
Key 1: Client Cooperation
Trusted and believed in the contractorAn active participant in the projectKnew what they wanted Knew what they did not want
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 21
The rest was up to me…
Second Key to Success: Metrics
Need to make as accurate an assessment as possible as to the work involvedConsult with othersAlways overestimate—you will most likely still need to put in more time than anticipatedBe honest
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 22
Metrics: A Closer LookTask Hours Notes
Learning Flare so that I can tackle tasks efficiently 24
Learning curve…. Based on the time I spent today learning to do different tasks, I estimate an additional 24 hours to get me up to speed with the SW
Content Design 15Includes back and forth, uploading for testing, etc. (this may be an over esitmate, but I want to be sure you have a robust template for all your needs)
PDF Design 10 less because a lot of the work will have already been done and lear
Split up legacy content into topics, with correct styles applied, set up in Flare 40 Based on ~650 pages of exported content into Word (8.5x11 pages)
Edit and rearrange legacy content 350
Based on reducing actual content to approx. 500 pages (by applying appropriate formatting etc), assuming minor edits and easier to rearrange, may take longer if the edits are extensive (reason for buffer)
Prepare new content 200Based on new content, expecting something like 50 pages of content to add (maximum) at 4 hours per page
Context Sensitive Help Prep 40
This is a real off the wall estimate. I've never prepared files for that purpose before… it may take less time to get the information prepared in a manner your programmers can use - don't know yet
Total Estimated Hours (base) 679
Buffer for Unexpected (15%) 102
TOTAL HOURS 781
Estimated Cost (manpower) XXX Confidential
Cost of SW XXX Confidential
Total Estimated Cost ~US$25K
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 23
Actual Cost
Year Total Hours on Project
Total Hours on Maintenance
2010 468 Unexpected delays
precluded any work on project
2011 408Went live in February (120 hrs)
~288 hours to complete plus ongoing updates
2012 2072013 200
The estimate was pretty accurate.
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 24
Third Key to Success: Feedback
The client read the Help!Customers read the Help!Programmers read the Help!Corrections, clarifications, updates were provided in great detail
Key Component: User Forums
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Forums: Client Asked Customers
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©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected]
Forums: Users Helped Users…With the Help!
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Fourth Key to Success: Limitations
Just because you CAN do it does not mean you SHOULD do it
No videosNo multimediaFeedback via e-mail or the forumsMinimal bells and whistles
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 28
Fifth Key to Success: Accessibility
Multiple paths to gain informationTOCIndexSearchGlossarySelective context sensitivity in the applicationCross referencesRelated TopicsContent hidden in drop-downs to reduce noise
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Sixth Key to Success: Good Tool Support
Create a skin that was Mac-like? A CSS that has the bullets indented exactly so? Track what was deleted and no longer used? And lots more…
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 30
I didn’t know how, but service and support did!
Seventh Key to Success: Communication to Users
Users know the Help existsUsers are encouraged to access the HelpWhen possible answers are provided to users based on the HelpPodcasts mention the HelpTrainings mention the HelpSales materials mention the Help
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 31
Communicating You Have Help
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Teaching How to Use the Help
Remember, most of these Mac users had not used nor seen WebHelp before!
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 33
Proof of Success: A User Speaks
As I watched the recorded webinar the instructor referenced the Accordance Help section. Little did I know how helpful this section is. Even when I am using Accordance for my iPad, the help section takes me to Accordance Help for ios. I continue to learn more about Accordance as the weeks pass. I just wanted to thank you for supporting Accordance as well as you do. I wish I had engaged Accordance Help and Support sooner.
©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 34
Usable Help IS a Team Effort
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©2014 Deborah Hemstreet [email protected] 36
Links
Accordance Help V9 (Mac)*Accordance Help V9 (PC Emulator)Accordance Help V10 (HTML5 on MAC)Accordance Help V10 (HTML5 on PC)Accordance Help for Mobile App
The Accordance Help V9 received an International Summit award from the Society for Technical Communication (2012)