TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
How you understand how the product works may very well
tell you nothing about what the user uses the product
for.
The engineers understand how the product works. What
they don't always understand is now the user will user
it to do their tasks.
Tony Markos responds:
This borders on confusing poor engineering with good
engineering. Any good engineering analysis
methodology focuses first and foremost on the
end-user: his/her goals and tasks and how those all
those goals/tasks interrelate.
As any good engineer knows: A rigorous, comprehensive
understanding of essential end-user goals/tasks, and
how those goals/tasks interrelate forms the high-level
architecture within which all technology is properly
"pigeon holed".
Granted, this is not how the vast majority of
engineers function (dispite the claims of some TW's on
this listserv claiming to know alot of people-oriented
geeks). But please don't equate poor engineering with
engineering.
Sharon Burton wrote:
For example, the cash register manuals I have talked
about were originally written by engineers. They were
literally useless to the user - there was no
understanding of the tasks the user needed to perform
when they used the cash register.
Tony Markos responds:
I don't doubt you one bit. What I am saying is that
they knew better, but choose - for their own comforts
sake - to bastardize the engineering approach - to
deprioritize people and put highest priority on
technology.
Sharon Burton:
Structuring the information refers to climbing in the
users head(s) and identifying those things the user
needs to know to use the product for what the user
wants to use the product for.
Tony Markos:
"..climbing into the users head(s) and identifying
those things the user needs to know to use the product
for what the user want to use the product for." is a
defintion of good analysis. Has been for decades!
FIRST we analyze the users and the technology that
they have/will have - ALWAYS giving the user top
priority, THEN we use this understanding to structure
our information for presentation.
And, as I said before, if our analysis is any good -
the structuring of information for presentation is
going to be very straightforward.
Another person on this listserv essentially stated:
What one person calls analysis, another calls
structuring information. But that argument falls
apart when we talk specifics. When we do good
analysis we use very specific, concrete techniques:
Data Flow Diagrams, Entity Relationship Diagrams, etc.
What specific techniques do you use to structure
information for presentation?
Sharon Burton:
Your DFDs may help you understand something but they
are not the Holy Grail of technical writing nor would
they necessarily tell you anything about the
users tasks or what needs to go in the manual to help
the user.
Tony Markos:
Only by following the flow of data can we
understanding the underlying logic of a system of
manual and/or automated tasks.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250
WEBWORKS FINALDRAFT - EDIT AND REVIEW, REDEFINED
Accelerate the document lifecycle with full online discussions and unique feedback-management capabilities. Unlimited, efficient reviews for Word
and FrameMaker authors. Live, online demo: http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Doc-To-Help 7.5 Professional: New version with new features, improved performance and reliability, plus much more! Download your free trial today at www.componentone.com/techwrlfeb.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
