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Subject:Re: No one reads the manuals From:AlQuin <cbon -at- WXS -dot- NL> Date:Tue, 22 Dec 1998 23:11:48 +0100
On 22-12-1998 19:34 Suzanne Gerrior wrote:
>I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but I need some information - fast!
>
>I was just in a meeting with my boss who made this very innocent comment to
>me and my co-worker:
>
>"It must be very frustrating to be in a profession where no one reads what
>you produce."
>
>I have searched the archives and not found the type of info that I'm looking
>for. Can anyone tell me if they know "for a fact" that user's read the
>documentation (skimming is included as reading). By this I mean have you
>done a usability test, have you talked to customers. Does anyone have facts
>that I can use to back up my belief that user's do read the manuals.
>
My users read manuals when they NEED them: when something went wrong or
something doesn't work as expected.
That's why I crusade to design processes and products into such a
self-evident result, it can only be used as intended. Design manuals as a
life-belt additionally.
In my practice this works best.
Regards,
Kees de Bondt
AlQuin
informationflow-improvement
text
document
business communication
total quality
* Occasionally, things really do work right (Murphy's law 2)
