RE: my bad displays habit

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Gene Kim-Eng wrote:
 
> I'm currently in my first consumer-product gig in a verrry long time.
> The model
> here is:
> 
> Startup dialog opens on power-up.
> First instruction appears on the display.
> When user makes a selection the second dialog opens.
> Second instruction appears on the display.
> Etc., etc., etc.
> We write the instructions and create the graphics and anumations that
> the system
> displays.  No printed or CD manual other than a brief startup guide
> that walks
> the customer through the steps needed to get the unit out of the box
> and plugged
> in.
> 
> The behind-the-scenes documentation required to produce this
apparently
> minimalist customer instruction in over 20 languages is a bigger job
> than any
> user manual I've ever written.

Excellent bang waka applause akaw

That's a wizard-like interface and a self-documenting one (as wizards
should be). 

I don't do consumer-level products. But I've more than once pointed out
that if the GUI were more self-explanatory, users wouldn't have to refer
to a help page to understand what they're looking at and what to do
next. Of course, I offer recommendations for making that happen. Often,
they're even implemented. :-)


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------



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