Designing to save lives: Government technical documentation

Designing to Save Lives: Government Technical Documentation

Laurian Vega Stephanie Saylor

“I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they're interested in.” Bill Gates

Important things HealthCare.gov improved in response to public comment:

1.  A clear starting point 2.  Identify the critical path 3.  Include key details 4.  Explain requirements for username

and password 5.  Write understandable error messages

http://usability.com/2013/11/usability-testing-healthcare-gov/

Your words makes a difference. •  Email alerts •  Error messages •  Page placement

Putting it in perspective

User Characteristics ●  They are fulfilling a need to serve.

●  They function and action in a

military, top-down chain of command.

●  They are divided across numerous

systems with different access privileges; they have multiple monitors.

●  They have varying levels of

education & reading levels. ●  They can easily become myopic

and tightly focused.

Our users work in command and control net-centric contexts Real-time analytics Cyber- situational awareness Strategic and operational planning

Our users work in command and control net-centric contexts Real-time analytics Cyber- situational awareness Strategic and operational planning

Our users work in command and control net-centric contexts Real-time analytics Cyber- situational awareness Strategic and operational planning

CODE To translate a design specification into a computer program through composing computer code. TEST To evaluate a design, document, or code to ensure that it meets the specifications outlined in the analyze and design phase. ANALYZE & DESIGN To formulate the needs of the user, customers, and other stakeholders into a meaningful specification that can be understood and translated.

Agile Software Development, UX, and Technical Documentation

Lindsay Ratcliffe, Marc McNeill. 2011. Agile Experience Design: A Digital Designer's Guide to Agile, Lean, and Continuous

Software Development Sprint

Software Development Sprint UX Development Sprint

Software Development Sprint Technical Writing Sprint

I track my day to make sure I know: ●  What is critical? ●  How much time I

have? ●  What to review the

next day during scrum?

Extremely necessary if split across more than one project.

http://davidseah.com/blog/node/the-emergent-task-planner/

Having one place to access all of the graphics, mock-ups, testing results is one of the most time-saving and team-building activities you can do.

Make sure that you post links to your wiki where resources are needed to team scrum boards.

I hold weekly brown bag lunches

●  I review what mock-ups I’ve made or the outcomes of user interaction

●  I pass out post-it notes and ask people to write their questions, comments, opinions on them (anonymously)

●  I collect (and sometimes sort) the post-its and updated mockups

1 2

3

You Can Start Fresh

You Work on New Features

You Cannot Touch Anything

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can start from scratch 1.  Look at what

other tools are out there.

2.  Create mockups 3.  Test 4.  Show hi-fi mock-

ups to customers 5.  Create style-

guide 6.  Work to

implement 7.  Test again

http://healthmap.org/en/

If you can’t start from scratch.

If you can’t start from scratch, you polish and work with what you have.

If you can’t start from scratch, you make it shine.

Mandatory Words When you’re required to include links, logos, catch phrases, etc., find creative ways to highlight important information.

Mandatory Words An example of an Institute following the example of its parent organization.

Mandatory Words User the footer!

Mandatory Words Make the footer useful.

Mandatory Words

No touching! What if you can’t change

the site/application? •  Make tools that help users navigate it. o  Training guides, wikis, help

videos •  Propose solutions to the people

that can change it. o  Support those solutions

with research and plans

Getting Started 1.  USER RESEARCH

Know your users’ habits, tools, and access levels

2.  PROBLEM RESEARCH

Play anthropologist--track down why your product doesn’t work for your users

3.  CUSTOM HELP

Use your new info to help users in the way they want to be helped

Step 1: User Research ●  Know your users:

○  How they work? ○  How they use your

product/website?

Step 2: Problem Research ●  Know their roadblocks:

○  What frustrates them? ○  How do they

troubleshoot?

●  Use available resources ○  Anyone who has used the

product ○  Anyone who has worked on

the project ○  Network drives ○  FAQs ○  “Contact us” email repository

Step 2: Problem Research

User Knowledge →

How to reach your users

Problem Understanding →

What they need to know

Step 3: Help Users

You won’t find a universal answer about what kind of tools to use.

Use the method that works best for your users: wikis, PDF user guides, online help systems,

intranets, training videos, knowledge bases, etc.

Step 3: Help Users, Tools

•  Active voice •  Use plain language •  Talk to people, not at them •  Think about translation •  Bullets and lists •  Infographics •  Ban crutches

Step 3: Help Users, Writing

Step 3: Help Users, Writing

Good Examples “Read everything--trash, classics,

good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you'll find out.”

~William Faulkner •  http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards •  govtech.com •  http://www.nih.gov/clearcommunication/

plainlanguage.htm

Specific Government Challenges

•  Stovepipes •  Constant internal

competition •  Funding uncertainty •  Bureaucratic mindset

Solutions •  Workarounds •  Plans •  Make your boss’s

boss look good •  Focus on small wins

Don’t give up!

Closing Remarks •  Find your voice...don’t let it be

passive •  Read great technical writing

o  Ginny Redish Letting Go of the Words

o  Steve Krug Don’t Make Me Think

o  O’Reilly’s Head First series

My hero: Technical Communication Rock Star Ginny Redish

Thank you

Questions?

Laurian Vega, Laurian.Vega@NextCentury.com Stephanie Saylor, Stephanie.Saylor@NextCentury.com

Huge usability reports rarely get read and reused. We recommend a quick and dirty approach to usability reports. 1.  Make a bulleted list of

all usability problems/wins.

2.  Affinity diagram all to create categories

3.  Brainstorm solutions to each.

4.  Create cards that have name, description of the problem, and an image.

Resources •  http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/clearmark2013/ •  http://www.govdelivery.com/blog/2013/10/great-government-websites-benchmarking-the-best-2/ •  http://www.govtech.com/cdg/digital-government-achievement/