Re: Making them read the documentation

[Paul Goble <pg -at- pgcommunication -dot- com>]

On Wednesday, Bruce Byfield wrote:

> Could a little design work help? 
> ... Many readers (including, sometimes, me,
> I confess), tend to avoid such uninviting designs.

I've been surprised to see just the opposite behavior.
After working with a graphic designer to develop a visually
attractive quick-start guide, we were horrified to see 
usability test subjects *literally* toss our work aside.  
"Marketing stuff," they grumbled.  "Now where's the manual?"

As people, by necessity, become more skilled in fluff-filtering,
they seem to reflexively reject anything that's too colorful,
too glossy, or too self-consciously manipulative.  This trend
has been noted in recent issues of American Demographics magazine, 
where marketers have been asking, "How can we reach media-savvy 
Generation Y?"

So how do we go about making people understand, in 3 seconds 
or less, that what they're holding in their hands is useful 
content?  

Paul Goble





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