Re: Thinking like a user, or sticking to tried and true?

[Steven Jong <SteveFJong -at- comcast -dot- net>]

What a thoughtful question! When in doubt, put yourself in the user's  
shoes.

You call this a "document," which I'm conditioned to think of as a  
multi-chapter creature with a foreword, etc. However, "copying  
settings from one router to another" sounds like a (single) procedure  
that could be covered in a page or two, or in a single Help topic.  
Assuming it's closer to the latter in simplicity, I'd be inclined to  
skip the overview as well. Remember, though, audience diversity:  
different people will read and use the document, and some might want  
at least a brief overview.

I have had success, even in brief procedures, with stating up front  
the purpose of the procedure, and listing any information that the  
user has to have before beginning. (For instance, "Before you begin,  
you need to know the IP address of the new router....") This is  
functionally an overview, but it could be as little as a paragraph's  
worth of material, or a paragraph and a bulleted list.

                -- Steve

Steven Jong, Past President
STC Boston Chapter
978-413-2553 [C]
Boston Chapter Web site: www.stcboston.org
* I am a candidate for STC Director *


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