TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Info vs products From:Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM> Date:Sat, 28 Jun 1997 13:25:21 -0700
Peter -
You highlighted one of the points I was trying to make - that the
information should be oriented to what the user wants, not what the
product people *think* the user wants.
For instance, in your example
> I'm currently (for a client) writing new manuals on a series of
> telephone voice-responce equipment ("Welcome to Ajax Inc.'s user
> service. You are No. - 19 - in the queue!"). Here the sales
> department had found out, that more user information, explaining
> certain fundamentals about the system, could save them from a lot of
> hot-line calls and on-site teaching. The solution was a separate
> chapter on the basic working functions of the system + a new split-up
> in the models covered by each manual.
your solution responded to the needs of the user as perceived by the
sales people. Most of us reading this can give you plenty of examples
of users who have hung up after hearing part of a lengthy "press 1 to do
[x], press 2 to do [y], press 3 to do [z], or press 0 to return to the
operator" explanation. If you want an example of this taken to the
extreme, try calling the IRS sometime. In your case, your sales people
certainly had the right intention, but they didn't really get to know
how the users worked with a system like yours.
But you are absolutely right in suggesting that companies making
products would do much better by answering fundamental questions like:
> - Who are the users?
> - What are their background, and consequently their info needs for
> - product design background info? (e.g. to understand warnings and
> application limitations)
> - application info?
> - user instructions?
> How can I present the info in the for them most user friendly way?
Again, realize that I'm using the term "information" to include much
more than the after-purchase user manuals and installtion guides; I'm
including packaging, product design, pre-sales literature, etc.
Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
