Re: Rant... please let me help you fix the user interface

["Mike Starr" <mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com>]

Unfortunately, there'll never be a "major upgrade" to the software... it's 
just continually maintained and tweaked.

The main reason I'm so interested in fixing these things is because we 
really need to start selling this product into a different marketplace, one 
that's closely tied to our existing marketplace. But with luck, we get a 
whole bunch of new users and if I get the user interface cleaned up we won't 
be getting tech support calls from new users. The number of existing users 
is fairly small and I'm confident any confusion brought about by changes to 
the user interface would be easily managed.

Mike
--
Mike Starr                            WriteStarr Information Services
Technical Writer   -   Online Help Developer   -    Website developer
Graphic Designer    -    Desktop Publisher   -       MS Office Expert
Phone: (262) 694-1028 - Tollfree: (877) 892-1028 - Fax:(262) 697-6334
Email: mike -at- writestarr -dot- com      -      Web: http://www.writestarr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Grant Robertson" <grantsr -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 11:41 AM
Subject: RE: Rant... please let me help you fix the user interface

>> From: Mike Starr
>> So how do I sell the concept that making the text and button
>> labels easier to understand and fixing the appearance of
>> things not only makes the product easier for the customer to
>> understand and reduces the number of support calls but also
>> makes it easier to sell the product, too??
>
> Hi, I'm new here, but let me give you the other side of the story. If
> you change all of the button and label names (even to make them more
> clear) then they will have a flood of tech support calls because the
> users are used to the old names. Especially with niche market
> software, it has been my experience that these user's don't care about
> the names of things being clear. They rarely understand what the names
> realy mean even if they are clear. All these users do is memorize that
> they have to click on the button that says "ThusAndSuch" before they
> choose the menu item that says "SoAndSo." Sometimes they imagine they
> understand what they are doing based on some mythology they have built
> up from the poorly named buttons. If you change the button names then
> they get confused. It may sound negative and fatalistic but it is
> true. I have seen it many, many times over the years.
>
> Your best bet is to wait till a major upgrade of the software. Then
> all the new names will sound like entirely new or updated features and
> the users will be more accepting. But you should start selling this
> idea now and convince the marketing people that it will sell more
> software for less programmer hours. Then you will get the changes you
> desire.
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
> printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team 
> authoring,
> Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
> full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
> to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as 
> mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com -dot- 
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit 
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/mikestarr-techwr-l%40writestarr.com
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
> 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.