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Help and Documentation

Help and Documentation. Agenda. User Support Requirements Types of doc/help User Support Approaches Presentation issues. User Support. Help Problem-oriented and specific Documentation System-oriented and general. Help & Documentation. Never a replacement for bad design, but essential

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Help and Documentation

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  1. Help and Documentation

  2. Agenda • User Support Requirements • Types of doc/help • User Support Approaches • Presentation issues

  3. User Support • Help • Problem-oriented and specific • Documentation • System-oriented and general

  4. Help & Documentation • Never a replacement for bad design, but essential • Simple system • Most other systems with rich features require help

  5. Documentation • Kebanyakan user tidak suka membaca manual • Boring, no goal • start working • Sering digunakan saat kondisi panik, ketika user membutuhkan bantuan secepatnya

  6. User Support Requirements • Ketersediaan • Should be available any time the user is operating the system • Ketelitian & Kelengkapan • Should be accurate (tricky with changing versions) and should cover all aspects of application

  7. User Support Requirements • Konsisten • Across different sections, between on-line and paper documentation, in terminology, content and style • Ketahanan • Should be predictable and free of errors

  8. User Support Requirements • Fleksibilitas • Mulai dari user awam sampai yg ahli • Unobtrusiveness • Tidak mengacaukan

  9. Types of Doc/Help • 1. Tutorial • 2. Quick reference/review • 3. Reference Manual (Full explanation) • 4. Context-sensitive (task-specific) help

  10. Types of Doc/Help • 1. Tutorial • For start-up • Gets user going • Convey conceptual model • Communicate essential items • Sometimes see on-line tour or demo • http://www.rsinc.com/envi/

  11. Types of Doc/Help • 2. Quick reference/review • Reminder or short reference • Often for syntax • Can be recall aid for expert • Can allow novice to see what’s available • http://www.computerbooksonline.com/wproc/wpdchap.htm • http://imbolc.ucc.ie/~pflynn//books/htmlcard.html

  12. Types of Doc/Help • 3. Reference Manual (Full explanation) • Detailed command descriptions • Usually for experts • Unix on-line manual pages, for example • http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/stsref-toc.html

  13. Reference Manual

  14. Types of Doc/Help • 4. Context-sensitive (task-specific) help • System provides help on current situation • Macintosh balloon help, for example • Other examples?

  15. User Support Approaches • Command assistance • Detil spesifik pada command tertentu, seperti MAN pada linux/unix • Bagus jika user tahu apa yg diinginkan • Command prompts • Message ketika user melakukan kesalahan

  16. User Support Approaches • Context-sensitive help • Knowledge of particular user to information pertinent to a particular situation or interface item

  17. User Support Approaches Wizards • Takes user through procedure step by step • Inflexible, & often slow. • Also problematic if user gets stuck

  18. User Support Approaches • On-line tutorials • Work through simple examples, provide a feel for application • http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/AIM/scale/tutorials.html • http://www.w3schools.com/

  19. User Support Approaches • On-line documentation • How much like paper doc? • Electronic can emphasize hypertext, indexing, and searching more • http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/

  20. Advantages of on-line help • Always available with the application - paper manuals often unavailable • Don’t require extra desk space. • Electronically updated – fast & low cost • Electronic searching facilitates rapid location of specific information • Can use graphics, sound, color, and animations to explain complex functions • Can provide interactive & context specific help • Links to other on-line resources

  21. Disadvantages of on-line help • Reading screens always slower than paper • Small displays require frequent page turning • Display resolution less than printed material (v. important when graphics are used)

  22. Medium • Paper versus monitor • Studies show that people are 15-30% slower reading and comprehending text from a display as compared to paper

  23. Presentation Issues • Integrate with system, don’t “add on” • 1. How is help requested? • Command, button, function, separate applic • Advantages, disadvantages? • 2. How is help displayed? • Separate window, whole screen, part of screen, on top of applic., pop-up box, command line, highlighted button, light bulb.. • Largely depends on what type of help it is

  24. Peluang? • http://www.hci.com.au/

  25. Presentation Issues • 3. Effective presentation of help • Design it like any other part of UI: language, terminology, jargon, etc. • Use active voice • “To close a window, place the mouse cursor in the box at the upper right corner (with the X) and click the mouse button.” • 4. Implementation issues • Fast response time is important • How is help stored? File, database, …?

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