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

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

Uhhh, hello?

That has NOTHING to do with your field of

expertise!

Assumption 1:

Assumption 2: How Users Perceive Help

Assumption 3: Our Perception of Help

Assumption 4:The Client's Perception of Help

Help should be a team effort

Technical Communiator

Client SMEs End-Users

UseableHelp

Well We ALL Knew THAT

Basics: What makes help usable?

Ease-of-Use (Design)

Comprehensible Content

Multiple Points of Access

Knowledge is Power

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?

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

Background Information

Client: OakTree Software, Altamonte Springs, FLProduct: Accordance Bible SoftwareEnd-Users

University professorsRabbis, Priests, PastorsBible translatorsEveryday people like us

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?!

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?!

Lewis Caroll Logic

Mac makes everything easyIf it’s easy, you don’t need HelpMac’s don’t need Help

But some peopleNEED help…

Sample of Mac Help Today

No IndexLimited SearchTOC not self-evidentLimited browsingThis is betterthan in 2010!

The Client’s Answer

Every page edited by hand

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?

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!

Key 1: Client Cooperation

Trusted and believed in the contractorAn active participant in the projectKnew what they wanted Knew what they did not want

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

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

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.

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

Forums: Client Asked Customers

Forums: Users Helped Users…With the Help!

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

Fifth Key to Success: Accessibility

Multiple paths to gain informationTOCIndexSearchGlossarySelective context sensitivity in the applicationCross referencesRelated TopicsContent hidden in drop-downs to reduce noise

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…

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

Communicating You Have Help

Teaching How to Use the Help

Remember, most of these Mac users had not used nor seen WebHelp before!

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.

Usable Help IS a Team Effort

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)

usable help: is it really possible?

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