SIG: Current Issues in Assessing and Improving Documentation Usability

Organizers

Stephanie Rosenbaum, Tec-Ed Technical Communication and Graphics Services, Inc.
Judith Ramey, University of Washington

User documentation, whether in print or "built in" to the online user interface, is now a vital element of successful computer products. Managers and developers recognize that the common model of documentation as remediation for deficient design must not persist, but they often don't know how to build documentation usability into an ongoing product development effort. This SIG is a forum on human factors in computer documentation. In informal, moderated discussion, we will cover topics such as how to address documentation usability early in the product design process; qualitative and quantitative methods for collecting documentation usability data; roles and relationships among documentation specialists and others in the product development team; and cost justification of documentation usability programs.

chi96-webmaster@acm.org / 96-03-06