From Documentation to Content Strategy: A Case Study
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The document discusses a business application for monitoring called Business Activity Monitoring (BAM), aimed at enhancing management and strategic processes through better data communication and user interaction design. It highlights the importance of understanding two primary audiences and recommends a progressive disclosure user interface that assists users in navigating information. Key recommendations include embedding documentation, utilizing existing content management systems, and focusing on user profiling and testing for effective interaction design.
From Documentation to Content Strategy: A Case Study
- 1. C U LT U R E C O M CULTURE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIE Ray Gallon
- 2. The Call:
- 3. The Product ž Busi ness Ac software tivity Mo nitoring (BA M ) — Fits th e space Manage between ment (B Busines Intelligen PM) and s Proces c e (BI). Bus iness s two au diences: lient de scribes ž C — IT t — Man agemen
- 4. The Two Audiences rity of a l integ IT: chnic ž e d in te g SLA erest — Int ess existi n pr oc A per d in Q rnal) e erest or exte io n not — Int a l p plicat e ( intern the a tructur that fras n — C oncer their in e d amag ž Managem — Interes e nt: te data that d in strategic and p rocesses can be e xtracted f operatio nal — Don’t rom the have grea software t desire to “hands on use the .”
- 5. The Discovery Process ed ne ed: Exp ress not ion” – tail ž entat y de ocum in an — “D ware desc ribed soft ke the for : ma tand ctive ders — Obje to un eas ier stom e rs. p oten tial cu
- 6. The Discovery Process ž Inter views wi following th key pl n o n e xp ayers re ressed n veal the — A doc eeds: umentat — Conte ion ph ilosophy nt archit — Help ecture with a co audience ntent str s ategy fo r the two — Help with inte raction d esign ch oices
- 7. The Discovery Process ž Inter views wi following th key pl n o n e xp ayers re ressed n veal the — A doc eeds: umentat ion ph ilosophy content — Conte nt archit — Help ecture strategy with a co audience ntent str s ategy fo r the two — Help with inte raction d esign ch oices
- 8. The Two Audiences: Subtext INTERACTION COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL I YOU
- 9. The Two Audiences: Subtext INTERACTION COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL I SOFTWARE
- 10. Example: Business Process Dashboard – Order Fulfillment User Interaction model: Progressive Disclosure
- 11. Key Recommendations After Discovery ž “Documentation” = Embedded, on line, progressively disclosed assistance, including decision support ž Combination of standardized OLH plus customized material: — Done by the co. as part of a service contract — Custom annotations by end user ž Software must communicate with two voices to the two audiences ž Use DITA to maximise reuse, conditional text, etc. ž No CMS – Use existing configuration management system for content management, but prepared for eventual migration
- 12. two aud iences, ere are indeed, ž Th ’t one of them. b ut IT isn ž The real two — Oper audienc ational es are: — Strat people egy peo ple
- 13. In an Ideal W ew p ersonas ould be before orl d… ž Ther r profiles egins or use ment b develop ž The se pro the con files would tent cr then b — Inte eation e appli raction proces ed to — Interf design s: ace gr — Us aphics er assi stance ž Prototypes w ould be tested with real users or potential users
- 14. How It Really Happened ž Product was designed with certain preconceived notions of user profiles, never researched ž Content, tone, etc. not taken into account at all ž Real user research considered “too difficult because there are no users – it’s a new product” ž Some of this work now being done, in parallel with content development
- 15. Chosen Architecture: Progressive Disclosure Link Yes No Multiple Links At Will
- 16. Adaptation of Process to Reality hase one: Pro ject p Star t co n mod tent e U deve com A (to lopm mon ol tip ent o s, ta trunk , use sks, f “stand r fun etc.) ard” ction – s on ly
- 17. Adaptation of Process to Reality ase one: per in ph p ro llel, dev elop In para ers, al us for tenti po oice rview les dv Inte rofi p ton e an user atin g enti ces iffer dien Sta rt d t a u n etter di ffere ncy, b nsiste rs for co t use Adju st UI , targe o mi cs ergon
- 18. Work in progress
- 19. Progressive Disclosure User Interface Click here to reveal detailed information
- 20. Result: a “Portlet” You can drill down further to see individual transactions Double click a line for drill down
- 21. User Assistance Progressive Disclosure Model Click here for more help Enhanced tool tip is first level of disclosure
- 22. User Assistance Progressive Disclosure Model Click here for more help Enhanced tool tip is first level of disclosure Click here for a full concept
- 23. The Concept Pane Opens
- 24. The Concept Pane Opens Click here to open the TOC Links to more information at bottom of pane
- 26. Adaptation of Process to Reality ž Planned Phase Two: — Find a technical writer to maintain standard content — Expand “standard” UA to include administrative functions — Adjust UA content and style rules based on user testing — Develop input application for SME’s, in- house consultants — Develop applet to permit user annotation
- 27. In Summary: ž “Help, we need documentation” becomes a call for: — Content strategy – voices, user profiling — UX – user profiling, testing, refining interaction design, interaction design of UA — Document Content Architecture – choice of system, content management strategy — Information Architecture – structure of the UA content — Content development – otherwise known as writing
- 28. C U LT U R E C O M CULTURE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIE email: infodesign@culturecom.net Please check out my blog, « Rant of a Humanist Nerd: » http://humanistnerd.culturecom.net Twitter: @raygallon LinkedIn and Google+: Ray Gallon Member, board of directors