Doc in the Age of Throwaway Technology
A coworker of mine was having trouble with her PC when I suggested she reboot to see if that would help. When she e-mailed me to tell me that the reboot worked, I replied:
the manual should just say "reboot. if that doesn't work, buy a new one. they are not that expensive anymore."
I was joking (manuals provides more than troubleshooting information, and many manuals don't include troubleshooting information at all), but something about those words seemed profound. What will be the effect on documentation as the cost of ownership for computer software and hardware continues to trend down?
Not only will it be cheaper to replace hardware when it breaks - already you can buy a fairly powerful new desktop machine for under $400 - but the cost of replacing software that you can't figure out, don't like, or have outgrown is likely to shrink as well, or become entirely free. This creates three problems for businesses and doc people:
1. It will be cheaper than ever for users of a technology to walk away from a weak product, even after they have invested money in an initial purchase.
2. Learning how to use a technology will be the only barrier to entry for users seeking to switch technology.
3. (The result of one and two) Learning how to use a technology will be the biggest investment a user makes in new technology.
Technologies that are powerful, easy to learn, and rewarding to use will succeed. For these reasons, quality documentation will become more important than ever in the Age of Throwaway Technology.
Good docs make more powerful products
Documentation unlocks the hidden power of technology. If you've ever worked for a technology company, you know that the products are capable of doing far more than the average user uses them for. Part of the reason for this is that users don't know or understand the full capabilities of the product. Good documentation makes the user aware of things that can help them, without requiring the user to know what it is they don't know. Customization Guides, Hacker Guides, and the Missing Manuals series focus on this kind of information. The Web is also a great source of information about things you can do with products that aren't included in the manuals; in some cases, the makers of the product don't even know how their product ends up getting used by enterprising users.
Good documentation can help people get more out of their products than they would discover on their own.
The alternative in the Age of Throwaway Technology: If a product doesn't instantly seem capable of doing what the user wants, they may give up and try another product.
Good docs make products easier/cheaper to learn
Documentation is the cheapest way to learn something new, and, unlike training, it is always around. Well produced documentation can answer questions, anticipate user needs, offer suggestions, and lead the user down a path to success. Documenation can be used by beginners and experts and can be used to hold a users hand or as quick reference. As documentation technology advances and incorporates innovations in other fields, the ability of documentation to respond to users' needs will only get better.
Good documentation fills the gap between interface design and user experience. Even in the most expertly designed system, users will always have questions, and good docs can answer them.
The alternative in the Age of Throwaway Technology: If a product requires a lot of face-to face training or the docs seem disorganized and incomplete, the user will be unable to afford the investment.
Good docs create a richer user experience
In a world where technologies come and go, many users are reluctant to put in the time to become an expert in any one technology. This means that they learn technologies as they go. In the world of computer software, for example, users explore the user interface, click buttons, and try different functions to see what works for them. Documentation that is aware of how users explore and use technology can make this experience richer by meeting the user half way. If the users are seeking expert information and actively seeking out the docs, the technology can bring the doc to the user, thus offering them the rewarding experience of "learning through exploration."
Documents that are there for users when they need them and unobtrusive when they don't can create a richer user experience and customers that are less likely to give up on your product at the first sign of trouble. The documentation becomes the trusted voice of the technology.
The alternative in the Age of Throwaway Technology: If a product's documentation does not fit the way people use technology, it will be ineffective at teaching the user about the product and users will seek a product that they can learn from and feel comfortable with.
While it may be a good thing for users/customers that they can walk away from "broken" technology, it's not a good thing for businesses whose job it is to retain customers. In order to attract customers, products must be cheap, powerful, and easy to use. For customers, as their investment in the software or hardware declines, the relative investment in the support for those products (including the documentation) increases. As this investment in documentation increases, so do the expectations for return on that investment. To alleviate these concerns, the doc experience must become a major part of the overall product experience, and the product experience must be positive.
the manual should just say "reboot. if that doesn't work, buy a new one. they are not that expensive anymore."
I was joking (manuals provides more than troubleshooting information, and many manuals don't include troubleshooting information at all), but something about those words seemed profound. What will be the effect on documentation as the cost of ownership for computer software and hardware continues to trend down?
Not only will it be cheaper to replace hardware when it breaks - already you can buy a fairly powerful new desktop machine for under $400 - but the cost of replacing software that you can't figure out, don't like, or have outgrown is likely to shrink as well, or become entirely free. This creates three problems for businesses and doc people:
1. It will be cheaper than ever for users of a technology to walk away from a weak product, even after they have invested money in an initial purchase.
2. Learning how to use a technology will be the only barrier to entry for users seeking to switch technology.
3. (The result of one and two) Learning how to use a technology will be the biggest investment a user makes in new technology.
Technologies that are powerful, easy to learn, and rewarding to use will succeed. For these reasons, quality documentation will become more important than ever in the Age of Throwaway Technology.
Good docs make more powerful products
Documentation unlocks the hidden power of technology. If you've ever worked for a technology company, you know that the products are capable of doing far more than the average user uses them for. Part of the reason for this is that users don't know or understand the full capabilities of the product. Good documentation makes the user aware of things that can help them, without requiring the user to know what it is they don't know. Customization Guides, Hacker Guides, and the Missing Manuals series focus on this kind of information. The Web is also a great source of information about things you can do with products that aren't included in the manuals; in some cases, the makers of the product don't even know how their product ends up getting used by enterprising users.
Good documentation can help people get more out of their products than they would discover on their own.
The alternative in the Age of Throwaway Technology: If a product doesn't instantly seem capable of doing what the user wants, they may give up and try another product.
Good docs make products easier/cheaper to learn
Documentation is the cheapest way to learn something new, and, unlike training, it is always around. Well produced documentation can answer questions, anticipate user needs, offer suggestions, and lead the user down a path to success. Documenation can be used by beginners and experts and can be used to hold a users hand or as quick reference. As documentation technology advances and incorporates innovations in other fields, the ability of documentation to respond to users' needs will only get better.
Good documentation fills the gap between interface design and user experience. Even in the most expertly designed system, users will always have questions, and good docs can answer them.
The alternative in the Age of Throwaway Technology: If a product requires a lot of face-to face training or the docs seem disorganized and incomplete, the user will be unable to afford the investment.
Good docs create a richer user experience
In a world where technologies come and go, many users are reluctant to put in the time to become an expert in any one technology. This means that they learn technologies as they go. In the world of computer software, for example, users explore the user interface, click buttons, and try different functions to see what works for them. Documentation that is aware of how users explore and use technology can make this experience richer by meeting the user half way. If the users are seeking expert information and actively seeking out the docs, the technology can bring the doc to the user, thus offering them the rewarding experience of "learning through exploration."
Documents that are there for users when they need them and unobtrusive when they don't can create a richer user experience and customers that are less likely to give up on your product at the first sign of trouble. The documentation becomes the trusted voice of the technology.
The alternative in the Age of Throwaway Technology: If a product's documentation does not fit the way people use technology, it will be ineffective at teaching the user about the product and users will seek a product that they can learn from and feel comfortable with.
While it may be a good thing for users/customers that they can walk away from "broken" technology, it's not a good thing for businesses whose job it is to retain customers. In order to attract customers, products must be cheap, powerful, and easy to use. For customers, as their investment in the software or hardware declines, the relative investment in the support for those products (including the documentation) increases. As this investment in documentation increases, so do the expectations for return on that investment. To alleviate these concerns, the doc experience must become a major part of the overall product experience, and the product experience must be positive.
posted by Pete at 10:11 AM
1 Comments:
Good documentation fills the gap between interface design and user experience. Even in the most expertly designed system, users will always have questions, and good docs can answer them.
I obviously believe in the power of good documentation. However, I don't think that a fine manual is a band aid for a poorly designed interface. Just because I can clearly explain in 10 steps how to change your password, doesn't mean it should have taken 10 steps to complete the action. Those of us who work in the documentation department must always be ready to stand up and say "this is backwards, no user is going to dig so deeply into the preferences to turn off the sounds!"
I think in an era of throw away technology, another important thing is that documentation stay agile. If a coder can add a feature that everyone is begging for in a day, so should the documentation team be able to add the appropriate explanation, re-index, and re-publish in the same time frame.
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good to see another Massachusetts tech writer with a blog :)
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