1. Linda Lior Rayne Wiselman

2. Information Design: Designing the presentation of information to facilitate understanding Information Architecture: Structural design of the information space to facilitate intuitive access to content

3. Research Identify your users (personas) Understand common tasks and scenarios Understand motivation and expectations Plan your content architecture Identify knowledge needs and gaps Understand constraints (schedules, resources) Define scope (depth and breadth) Define deliverables and delivery methods Plan the IX experience (use the research to define guidelines and workflows) Implement UI text Context sensitive help and help links In box documentation On the Web documentation Continuous publishing models

4. Heuristic walkthroughs Customer support Documentation Reviews Bug bashesUsability tests Partners and MVPs

5. Thinks in mathematical models (Algorithms, Boolean logic) Computer Programmer Research

6. The user interface is communication between the user and the technology (Everett McKay)  Your text provides the context and meaning

7. Software can be made easier and simpler by:  Breaking down features into screens that are easy to explain  Focusing each screen on a single task  Suiting a screen's contents to the task  Making it obvious how to complete a task using the controls on the screen

10. Plan! Define the workflows Identify Content Types Define Terminology Identify possible usability issues Create UI Text Guidelines

11. Define the workflows – is the first time experience different? What is the learning curve? Are there prerequisite steps? Where does the main UI content go? Create UI text guidelines – consistency gives users confidence Lock down terminology – start by reading the specs and creating a terminology list. Then investigate the terms used Identify possible pitfalls and usability issues

12.  Splash pages and landing pages  Navigation elements (i.e., trees, tabs)  Tooltips and hover text  Buttons and labels  Wizards (welcome pages, titles, subtitles, explanatory text, options)  Status indicators and monitoring information  Popup and Error messages

15. 1 Review the specs to understand the feature Identify new terminology 2 Suggest text Review and revise with team Review with the developer 3 Get feedback Review and revise

16. Core to golden scenarios, high visibility, high impact Core to silver scenarios, high- medium visibility, medium impact Legacy, low visibility, non-core, low impact Focus on the Gold

17.  Think about the purpose of the page ◦ What does the user need to do? ◦ What does the user need to know? ◦ What is the most likely action?  Less is more - Avoid length blocks of text (Eye-tracking studies show that online readers tend to skip large blocks of text.)Eye-tracking studies show  Keep the text close to the options it relates to (closeness Gestalt principle)

18.  Are items grouped logically?  Is the language appropriate for the user?  Does the text provide the right amount of information?  What is the dog doing here?

21. Some practical suggestions

24.  This will result in…  Whether …  In order to…  Alternately, …. As a result… If… To… Or, … In other words…. Please…

25.  “When you use this feature ….” (wonderful things will happen)

26.  Terms that devs like to use: ◦ “Abort” ◦ “Terminate” ◦ “Machine” ◦ “Failed” (especially the product failed)  Formatting ◦ Indentation (coding)  Enable this option With this option enabled you can…. ◦ Spacing  Remember the Gestalt principle

28.  Users DO read the text  Need to find balance (can’t document the product in the UI)  Create a UI text process and get buyoff from stakeholders  PMs like to sell their feature  Developers are not writers  Guidelines make our lives easier  Don’t forget to evaluate! What seems clear to you, may not be to the reader

29. Research Identify context Map the content model to user research Map content model to product research Map model to content value Planning Design structure of content space Content architecture Content delivery mechanisms Implementation Design presentation of information Types of guides Guide structure Customer feedback mechanisms Evaluation and Maintenance Design processes Content review process Update/depreca te processes Customer feedback process Success metrics

30. Title; org; responsibilities; typical day; learning mode Motivation; technical savvy Information usage – proactive/reactive Product Persona

31.  Customer need: I want to drink cold water  Business goal: Find a solution that fits my needs  Choose a solution: Ice; cooler; refrigerator  Requirements: Both hot and cold water  Limitations: Provide cold water for 100 people all day  Consider the options: Evaluate fridges  Buy: The product that best meets all my needs xx

32.  Identify state of content Current content set Customer feedback Content metrics Third-party content  Evaluate competitive content It was probably considered by your customers  Identify the case for content value Increase revenue Reduce costs Aid deployment Increase sales Increase community

33. Design the structure of the content space Define delivery mechanisms Define content structure Define guidelines and limitations Define community strategy On-box Online Wiki Blog Video Hierarchal Distributed Duplication strategy Link out strategy Off line reading strategy Loc strategy Publicize strategy Blog strategy Forum strategy Web cast strategy

34. Content types Map to personas Guide design: Layout Tone Writing style Guide review process Review owners Review criteria

35. Content Model 1. Evaluate External review User storyboarding 2. Manage Continuous publishing Freshness Update/deprecate Content curation 3. Track Customer feedback Feedback->Model Success metrics

36. To create a great information experience:  Know your customer  Map your content to user tasks, scenarios, and business needs (not to the features)  Use language your users understand  Use the right vehicles (what belongs in the UI, what belongs in docs)  Evaluate! QUESTIONS?