Is the help helpful? : how to create online help that meets your users' needs /
Is the Help Helpful? presents the full cycle of help content development, regardless of the operating system running the application, the type of help being produced, or the tools used to produce it. In this book, you'll discover the 10 most common complaints that users have with online help, t...
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| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Whitefish Bay, WI :
Hentzenwerke Pub.,
©2004.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
Full text (MFA users only) |
| ISBN: | 9781930919600 1930919603 1930919611 9781930919617 1280568194 9781280568190 9791930919609 |
| Local Note: | ProQuest Ebook Central |
Table of Contents:
- Our Contract with You, the Reader
- List of Chapters
- Table of Contents
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- About the Authors
- How to Download the Files
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Planning an Online Help Project
- Why plan an online help project?
- What process is used in an ideal help project?
- Step 1. Analyze the audience, plan the project, and write the plan
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 2. Develop high-level specifications
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 3. Develop detailed specifications.
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 4. Perform a detailed task analysis
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 5. Build and evaluate a prototype help system
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 6. Develop an outline and map of the help project
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 7. Write, index, and edit the help topics
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 8. Review the help topics
- Benefits of this step.
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 9. Test the help
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 10. Release the help with the product
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- Step 11. Evaluate the help and plan for improvements
- Benefits of this step
- Problems if this step is not done
- What are the roles in an online help project?
- Project manager/planner/producer's role
- Writer's role
- Editor's role
- Graphic artist's or illustrator's role
- Instructional designer's role
- Programmer's role
- Multimedia producer's role.
- Indexer's role
- Localization and translation coordinator's role
- Usability tester's role
- Quality assurance (QA) person's role
- How much time is required for producing online help?
- Overall time required
- Time required for different activities
- Number of help topics required
- Who does what, when?
- Organizing the flow of writing, editing, reviewing, and testing
- Stages of help and software development
- How many reviews are needed, and when?
- What types of testing are required?
- Test of internal links, also called reliability testing
- Test of external links.
- Is the help helpful?
- Methods for editing and reviewing
- Compiled help with annotations
- Compiled help with separate comments file
- Compiled help printed and annotated by hand
- RTF, Microsoft Word, or other editable files
- PDF files
- Changes typed directly into help source file
- Choosing help-development tools
- Conclusion
- Chapter 2: Analyzing Audiences and Tasks
- Who are the audiences?
- Example 1. Audience analysis for TreeLine
- Example 2. Audience analysis for a multi-user database program
- Working with user profiles and personas
- Example 3. Personas for TreeLine.