Visma Software has invited me to speak at their developer conference, which is being held at the end of March in Latvia. I'll be talking about how some major software companies are rethinking their approach to user documentation. This approach could be called “design-led documentation.”
For example, IBM is introducing a design-led approach to software design. Talking to a technical writer I know at IBM UK, I understand this design-led approach includes how they'll be designing the user documentation. Citrix is another company taking a design-led approach.
So what is meant by a design-led approach? According to Phil Gilbert, general manager at IBM Design:
“IBM Design Thinking is a broad, ambitious new approach to re-imagining how we design our products and solutions. … Quite simply, our goal—on a scale unmatched in the industry—is to modernize enterprise software for today’s user who demands great design everywhere, at home and at work.”
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In Roman times, Vitruvius stated design had three pillars: functionality (aka usability), robustness, and emotion (it needed to be pleasing). A design-led approach to user documentation means applying design thinking to the traditional information development process.
For Citrix, their goal is to provide a more immersive user experience, moving away from confining user assistance to a traditional user manual or Help file. This means looking at how content can be delivered in the User Interface, in forums, through videos and blogs.
According to Matt Varghese, IX lead at Citrix:
“Information experience is the fundamental human act of receiving, assimilating, and sharing information. The experience varies from person to person based on a person's learning style, skill level, environment, and other relevant factors. … The ideal information experience is when a person receives the right information, at the right time, in the right format. This experience can be crafted and fine-tuned. To do that you need to understand the user, and the user's needs, very well.”
It’s fascinating seeing two well-known software companies changing their approach to technical documentation in such a fundamental way.
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Ellis Pratt is director at Cherryleaf, a UK technical writing services company. Ranked the most the influential blogger on technical communication in Europe, Ellis is a specialist in the field of creating clear and simple information users will love.