RE: Documenting the user interface

["Kay Honaker" <khonaker -at- accela -dot- com>]

The features in the software are all there to serve someone, otherwise, why are they there? 
I have had multiple users submit "bugs" for buttons that are not described in the documentation. Just got another one yesterday.....

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+khonaker=accela -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+khonaker=accela -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]On
Behalf Of Janice Gelb
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 5:05 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Documenting the user interface


Kay Honaker wrote:
> Try to be as task-oriented as possible. In other words, don't just go through each button or tab and tell what they do. Instead, describe a work flow that takes the user through the tasks for which she will use the software.
> On the other hand, you need to cover all the buttons and tabs and fields and functions. Otherwise, the user will wonder why they exist (with good reason). 
> 

Not sure I agree that "users will wonder" why things exist in
the user interface. I think most users buy a product to
accomplish some task and with very few exceptions, their
interest in the interface is solely related to how to use
it to accomplish that task. That's why I agree that you
don't need to describe every button, tab, field, etc. They
should only be described in the tasks in which they are
used to accomplish something.

-- Janice

***********************************************************
Janice Gelb          | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com  | this message is the return address


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