Customer Partnering: Another Way to Gather User Data  

Information developers have been using user-centered design principles for some time now. Many of the techniques available, however, do not provide the depth of knowledge needed to design more complex information products. Customer partnering sessions take place ofer a period of three or four months, allowing information developers to learn more about customer needs and how information products are used. Customer partnering relationships benefit both the company that funds the sessions and the customers who attend them.

Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

Designing Minimalist Principles Into User Interfaces  

Designing a user interface using minimalist principles for guided exploration can reduce the amount of paper and text necessary to document the system. Graphics in the interface can help the user grasp the concepts of the system, while dialog boxes, status information, and error messages can aid in recognition of success and recovery from errors. Online help can then be used as a backup for users if they get stuck. Reducing text and paper can reduce translation and printing costs, making this process very attractive.

Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>User Interface>Usability>Minimalism

Minimalist Strategies for Improving User Documentation  

Those who use our products often ignore our best efforts at good documentation because they prefer to explore and learn by trial and error. Several researchers have developed document strategies that might help our users explore, learn, and recover from their errors. In order to use these strategies, however, technical communicators must get to know their users better, prototype their documentation, and test it on their users. Researchers need to tell us more about active learners and strategies for meeting their needs.

Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Quality>Minimalism

Redesigning a Pubs Group Around Fundamental Business Concepts  

When large, high-tech organizations downsize, one of the groups that gets a hard look is the pubs group. Often considered a support function that 'just provides those necessary evils, the manuals,' a redesigned pubs organization built around fundamental business concepts like profitability and customer success can become a leader in helping the larger organization achieve success.

Elser, Arthur G. and M. Kristine Manlove. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>Management

Using Graphics to Help Users Build Mental Models  

Research shows that adults learn more efficiently when they have formed an accurate mental model of the product they are trying to use. We can help our users form accurate mental models more quickly by graphically depicting that model on the interface. One product using that approach allowed engineers to become productive with no reference to user documentation.

Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Graphic Design

What's Wrong with Today's Technical Communication Tools?  

The software tools we use often seem not well suited to the tasks we ask them to perform. Workarounds seem to be the norm at times. We expect to gather your comments in this discussion session and use them to write a ï¿white paperï¿ to be offered to Technical Communication as an article. We hope developers of our tools use our comments to improve the next round of releases.

Elser, Arthur G., JoAnn T. Hackos and Dawn M. Stevens. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>TC>Software