Examining documentation and help systems since 2002
Contents
Special Reports
Reading Usable Help
@UsableHelp on Twitter
Gordon R. Meyer
Copyright 2002-2015
Favorite Sites
Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
A temporary pause
Please stand by. More...
March 9, 2015
Real help in real time
Like phone-a-friend, but they're not friends. More...
January 18, 2015
Best-selling sofware manuals
How two software manuals cracked the best-seller list. More...
January 10, 2015
Engineering reductionism
Start the new year with the lighter side of technical documentation More...
January 4, 2015
Death throes of relevancy
Printed documentation's as a joke. More...
December 31, 2014
Standard reference for mobile doc development
A revised version of the best guide for mobile doc strategy, More...
November 24, 2014
Simplifying Armageddon
The most important technical documents in the world were too hard to use. More...
October 19, 2014
So long, Macworld
The magazine dies at the same hands it promotes. More...
October 12, 2014
Tiny tutorials
An example of using Vine for instructional material. More...
September 13, 2014
Why everything is OK
How UI conventions are born. More...
August 23, 2014
Not our job to make it easy
Software makes the impossible, possible. Isn't that enough? More...
July 20, 2014
How to make a design problem worse with documentation
If poor documentation can't fix a bad design, try a poorly worded sticker. More...
June 15, 2014
Managing prose as if it were code
Shoehorn writing into code at your peril. More...
June 11, 2014
Tech writing with heart
Is documentation boring by habit? More...
May 30, 2014
Walkthroughs are cruft to be scraped away
Reasons why a series of intro screens may hurt your app, not help it. More...
May 20, 2014
A thousand words in a jiffy
Animated GIF workflow and tools for Mac-based writers. More...
May 4, 2014
Generate good faked data
if you need more technical user data, this is a good tool to consider. More...
April 20, 2014
Optimizing for simple
Simple is better, but not always the primary goal. More...
March 23, 2014
Title goes here
The curse of placeholder text, realized. More...
March 9, 2014
An impressive online tutorial
A free-form tututorial is amazing and useful. More...
March 2, 2014
Thirty years of Macintosh
Enjoy the Guided Tour that taught people how to use the first Mac. More...
February 18, 2014
Another horse in the XML race
oManual aims to make repair manuals easier and smarter. More...
January 19, 2014
Watching the readers
eBooks offer the chance to learn what you don't want to know More...
December 31, 2013
Don't tell me you love me
If you like me, tell the world. If not, dev\null. More...
December 7, 2013
Are we not men?
"It's the 21st century," the person said. More...
December 2, 2013
Books aren't dead yet
Could some young readers actually prefer the printed page? More...
November 29, 2013
Simplified iOS 7 screen shots
An easy way to clean up iPhone screen shots in your documentation. More...
October 11, 2013
A stick figure explains cryptography
A comics-based technical document that works. More...
September 5, 2013
Linking: All things in moderation
You're not alone on the web, but you might want to pretend you are. More...
August 25, 2013
The unspoken meaning of punctuation
When consistency conveys hidden meaning. More...
August 18, 2013
Documentation that drains willpower
Your reacers are injured when they start. More...
August 11, 2013
Everyone's a tech writer
A free guide aims to help anyone write documentation. More...
August 4, 2013
Neighborhood consistency
Tending your own word garden, and those around you. More...
July 28, 2013
Reading Usable Help without Google Reader
Other ways to keep up with Usable Help. More...
July 21, 2013
Easy online code documentation
A simple tool to generate lovely and responsive online doc. More...
July 21, 2013
Fixing bad designs with documentation
A series of bad decisions can't fix the core problem. More...
July 15, 2013
Mining visual data to improve documentation
An easy way to study your customers. More...
July 13, 2013
Searching Usable Help
An easier way find items at this site. More...
July 6, 2013
Short Attention Span Microvideos
Ideas for making tutorial movies that work and won't drive you crazy More...
July 6, 2013
Replaced by machines
An updated tool lets your documentation "go viral." Yeah, right. More...
June 26, 2013
You've got 6 seconds
Can you learn to cook a dish from Vine? Yes. Be afraid. More...
June 18, 2013
Press 1 for more options that don't make sense
Can instructional techniques make phone answering trees more usable? More...
June 8, 2013
Museums for technical writers
People come to a museum to look, not read. More...
June 1, 2013
Another reason not to rely on FAQs
A visual, cautionary tale. More...
May 26, 2013
Writing to avoid trunca...
Help your customer and avoid professional embarrassment by paying attention. More...
May 19, 2013
Apple Style Guide 2013 released
A new version of Apple's in-house style guide is released. More...
May 12, 2013
Is text-speak really teh sux0r?
As ugly as it might be, it is your future. More...
May 5, 2013
The novelty of actually reading the manual
Perhaps the most overlooked productivity tip More...
April 28, 2013
Justifying a style guide
A nice summary of why a style guide adds value. More...
April 21, 2013
Usable Help on Flipboard
A new way to stay current with this website. More...
April 15, 2013
Wabi-sabi and Minimalism
The essence of simplicity, but not drained of life. More...
March 31, 2013
Just-In-Time Help
Tufte's look at built-in documentation More...
March 31, 2013
Self-identifying audiences
Letting users decide how smart they are is a tricky thing. More...
March 23, 2013
A resource for GUI history
It's great you're breaking new ground. Or, are you? More...
March 17, 2013
Evolution of Roomba's Virtual Wall instructions
Watch as the built-in help for the accessory changes over time. More...
February 24, 2013
A lightweight way to track changes
CriticMark delivers a way to track changes in Markdown documents More...
February 17, 2013
Unintended consequences of good documentation
Good instructions benefit everyone, even those who don't deserve it. More...
January 27, 2013
Real world tips, tricks, and tweaks
Fantastic Win95 mockumentation More...
January 19, 2013
Learning instructional design from a master artist
Will Eisner's little-known US Army publication is a fantastic resource for instructional designers. More...
January 14, 2013
Overlooking the tech writer forest
Apparently "tech writer" is a generic word for blogger. More...
January 6, 2013
Get to the point
A tweet calls out a common problem with instructional design More...
December 30, 2012
Wiki-based Documentation: Tastes Great, Less Filling
Using a wiki for your production documentation isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't a viable alternative to expensive or complicated CMS deployments. More...
December 30, 2012
Is your documentaton meant to be read?
One way to measure your intent. More...
December 22, 2012
The Sketchnote Handbook for Instructional Designers
A fine example for your bookshelf, and you'll enjoy it, too. More...
December 16, 2012
Before you can RTFM, you must DTFM
You can't read what you don't have. More...
December 9, 2012
Verizon's anti-documentation commercial
Good products don't need documentation. More...
November 25, 2012
Hidden in plain sight
Selective attention distracts your readers, but so too does junked-up pages. More...
November 11, 2012
Card sorting tools for iOS
A digital approach to a tried and true tool. More...
November 4, 2012
A tool for iOS screenshots
Status Magic tames the iOS status bar for documentation purposes. More...
October 28, 2012
The Green Man
Even one-word instructions are hard to write More...
October 21, 2012
The disappearing book
Read it or lose it, my friend. More...
October 17, 2012
Interactive paper documents
A tool for making URLs in paper documents more usable. More...
October 11, 2012
Telephones and rifles, oh my
Classic examples of instructional design from the past. More...
September 30, 2012
The gestalt of editing books
To edit a book, you must make a book. More...
September 23, 2012
Tracking reader behavior
A new metrics platform for reading seems too good to be true. More...
September 10, 2012
Documentation in the age of social media
Limitations produce concise and clear writing. More...
August 27, 2012
Those who know, don't blog
Do the customers who contribute to your support forums really know what they're talking about? More...
August 19, 2012
Curated Help
Just because you can put all of your content together, should you? More...
August 13, 2012
Do warnings cause problems?
It's hard to feel good about a product filled with land mines. More...
August 6, 2012
A tech writer defense mechanism
Omit superfluous details. More...
July 29, 2012
Crowdsourced keyboard shortcut reference guides
Two solutions for Mac users. More...
July 21, 2012
Dealing with an orphaned app
A realistic approach for what do to when your fav app gets bought out. More...
July 21, 2012
As go newspapers, documentation follows
Traditional media is dying. Documentation is about as traditional as you can get. More...
July 15, 2012
Ten years of Usable Help
A brief look back at this website over the years More...
July 11, 2012
Documentation without a net
Increasingly, online documentation is the only assistance provided to customers. More...
July 8, 2012
Just Google it
Everybody does it, particularly college students, but they're surprisingly bad it. More...
July 1, 2012
Poor, poor Clippy
Even if you hate Clippy, you can't help but feel sorry for the little guy. More...
June 24, 2012
How assistants put us out of business
When a product configures itself, why bother with horrible documentation? More...
June 8, 2012
Computer validates RTFM strategy. Sort of.
An artificial intelligence demonstrates better game play after reading a manual, unfortunately, any manual. More...
June 2, 2012
Qualities that users value
A study of App Store reviews reveals what users like best and least. More...
May 29, 2012
A whimsical explanation of sending email
http://www.google.com/green/storyofsend/desktop/#/it-starts-with-send More...
May 18, 2012
A lovely web front-end
How do you make a massive Q&A site fun and pretty? StackTrace has an answer. More...
May 6, 2012
Improved Help authoring with Voodoo Pad
Substantial changes in v5.0 make this versatile tool even better More...
April 28, 2012
Customers use social media, not documentation
"Ask a stranger" still better than looking it up. More...
April 21, 2012
Dealing with documentation overload
One man's approach to the downside of printed documentation. More...
April 15, 2012
Snapguide puts user-contributed Help in your pocket.
A new iOS app lets users to do your job for you. More...
April 5, 2012
Gamifying Help
Rewarding those who RTFM. More...
April 1, 2012
Help as on outboard brain
Documentation doesn't need to teach, it only needs to answer. More...
March 24, 2012
PDF: Dead format walking
Adobe's PDF is destined to go the way of Flash. It's not optimized for the future or mobile devices. More...
March 18, 2012
New ways to read Usable Help
Introducing several new ways to keep up with the site. More...
March 10, 2012
When ebooks become books
It took a few years to drop the "e" from email, will it take the long for ebooks? More...
March 10, 2012
Will customers pay more for printed books?
The answer might surprise you, and might be better left unasked. More...
March 1, 2012
Microsoft Manual of Style 4th Ed now available
An essential resource for any tech writer, editor, or blogger. Annoyingly, not free of charge. More...
February 25, 2012
Holding tech journalism to a higher standard
Reporters are sometimes technical writers too, what challenges do they face? More...
February 11, 2012
If computers had warning lights
Imagine a computer that was less neurotic about its every condition. More...
February 5, 2012
Does gender matter when it comes to Help?
Leah Guren's study answers this, and much more. More...
February 2, 2012
Read the Help, increase your score
How can we reward customers for reading the documentation? More...
January 29, 2012
Learning from old examples
See how your colleagues from the past solved two interesting instructional challenges: Disneyland Monorail and the Theory of Relativity. More...
January 22, 2012
Android basics for writers
The new Android Style provides text and wording guidelines. More...
January 15, 2012
Writers UA approaches
Register now to save some cash for the Memphis conference. More...
January 12, 2012
Can documentation be "social?"
Can your in-house experts contribute directly to your documentation? More...
December 15, 2011
Touch, Tap, Hold.
How to refer to gestures in words and pictures More...
December 13, 2011
To link or not to link
Hyperlinks are easy, but they're not without costs. More...
December 8, 2011
Measuring your FAQ
If you have to have a FAQ, you might as well measure its use. More...
December 2, 2011
Tricky interactive tutorials
Keeping learners on the trail is a challenge for any tutorial. More...
December 1, 2011
The upside of Twitter and documentation
At least you can't ramble too much. More...
November 15, 2011
Rethinking text and illustration
Can a breakthrough work of fiction teach something to tech writers? More...
November 6, 2011
Documentation as demonstration
Beyond, well beyond, a "book," an online simulator goes where a manual can't. More...
November 1, 2011
Spoken setup instructions
A new headset that speaks users through how to use it. More...
October 8, 2011
Keeping a key to an old lock
Someday you might need to open a CHM file on a Mac. You'll be glad to have this utility when that time comes. More...
October 1, 2011
Dozuki wants to host your manuals
A new hosted service for letting anyone, and everyone, creates technical documentation. More...
September 24, 2011
Humor in warnings
This is not a time for jokes, or is it? More...
September 18, 2011
QuickHelp: A blast from the past
Old help systems apparently never die. More...
September 18, 2011
Help for Toronto Transit
Minimal instructional design aids subway riders. More...
September 6, 2011
Tweeting a book, bit by bit
Two strategies for promoting a book, 140 characters at a time. More...
August 27, 2011
User contributions via Twitter
Readers add to a product's documentation by tweeting about the product. More...
August 20, 2011
Help is a red-headed stepchild
Let's innovate where users will notice, OK? More...
August 13, 2011
A new tool for user-created documentation
Clarify makes it easy to users to help each other. More...
August 6, 2011
A look at Developing User Assistance for Mobile Apps
A new book for technical writers brings order and process to this new world. More...
August 2, 2011
Appropriate complexity
Do writers make things more complicated on purpose? More...
July 29, 2011
Animated instruction from 80 years ago
Learning from the past about how to present technical information today. More...
July 18, 2011
Edits as an instructional tool
Retaining older information as an aid to learning revised products. More...
July 8, 2011
Changes disrupt knowledge
Big changes in an established procedure can derail everything. More...
July 2, 2011
The painful reality of users
A reminder of how some struggle with their computers. More...
June 26, 2011
Crowdsourcing answers
We're drowning in answers, what we need is good ones. More...
June 17, 2011
Historical instruction about dialing a phone
Introducing new technology to a 1950s audience. More...
June 15, 2011
Retiring the food pyramid
A long term icon of instructional design is a rare thing. More...
June 4, 2011
Crowdsourced annotations for user guides
A new way to see what others are finding notable in your books. More...
May 29, 2011
Inspiration where you find it
A roadside sign provides a new approach to documentation. More...
May 22, 2011
Another reason not to read the documentation
Social media makes it easier than ever to avoid reading the manual. More...
May 14, 2011
Playboy Club Bunny Manual
You'll read it for professional interest, I'm sure. More...
May 11, 2011
Reports of Clippy's demise are greatly exaggerated
A training game for MS Office features a certain paperclip character, ironically, perhaps. More...
May 1, 2011
Eliminating documentation is green?
No paper means less shipping and waste, but not providing it all also saves something. More...
April 30, 2011
A social network for technical writers
A new website for sharing information with your colleagues. More...
April 24, 2011
Writing with AsciiDoc
A case study in writing and workflow. More...
April 18, 2011
Meet the new boss
We are drowning in a sea of handy but incorrect information. More...
April 9, 2011
Shifting trends in reading behavior
Finding and reading are two different tasks, each with their own time. More...
April 3, 2011
ScreenFloat - A tool for Mac OS X writers
An inexpensive tool utility for software documentation writers. More...
March 31, 2011
La Quinta's Shrinking Directory
A look at how La Quinta dramatically resized and optimized their hotel directory. More...
March 27, 2011
An archive of example manuals
An accidental treasure trove for instructional designers. More...
March 24, 2011
Open Help Conference
A meeting for writers who contribute to open source projects. More...
March 13, 2011
Talking heads for help
A lightweight website tool for creating animated narratives. More...
March 7, 2011
Using a card reader? I think not.
Gas pump documentation gets the task all wrong. More...
February 27, 2011
Authoring with myManuals
A new help authoring tool for Mac users More...
February 20, 2011
If you can read this, you can read English
Why does this silly convention exist? More...
February 13, 2011
A localization story
The intricacies of software localization laid bare. More...
February 6, 2011
Step One: RTFM
What's the best way to care for your pricey new camera? You might begin by reading the manual. More...
January 29, 2011
The book that never ends
Time to drop outmoded notions of finishing your book by it's publication date. More...
January 23, 2011
A tutorial set to "music"
A joke tutorial that actually teaches something. Uh-oh. More...
January 16, 2011
The harvest of complexity
Sometimes you can't "fix" the product by documenting it. More...
January 9, 2011
Help Gallery Update and Additions
A gallery of iPad Help debuts; iPhone and desktop galleries updated. More...
January 2, 2011
Collaborative writing without the headaches
A free online tool from 37 Signals makes it easy to track changes and revisions. More...
December 21, 2010
Writing fewer words
This book will inspire you to convey more by saying less. More...
December 12, 2010
Explaining everything using flowcharts
Can you explain the Internet to a child from the 19th century? More...
December 5, 2010
Easily create online iOS documentation
Voodoo Pad exports to webapp-format with offline caching. More...
November 26, 2010
20 Things about onscreen documentation
An interactive, modern onscreen book that's worth studying. More...
November 26, 2010
Instructional stunts
A silly book of nonsense has much to teach about instructional design. More...
November 7, 2010
On credibility
Are your instructions any better than what customers can get for free? More...
November 6, 2010
Kensington's documentation fantasy
What technical writers dream about. More...
October 28, 2010
Improving consumer electronics documentation
They are quite possibly the least used manuals ever published. More...
October 19, 2010
This is noted on Usable Help
Wherein an item is succinctly related to instructional design and then linked to. More...
October 7, 2010
Documentation and time-shifting
Are we writing only for users who have a concept of the future? More...
September 19, 2010
A documentation timeline
Let's write a book about our project! Are we finished yet? More...
September 9, 2010
The technology of cooking
A new cookbook with an unabashed geeky approach. More...
September 6, 2010
Visual Touch-ography
A picture is worth five words. More...
August 18, 2010
The forgotten, yet passionate, middle
Intermediate users need not apply. More...
August 12, 2010
Linked to distraction
Excessive inline links reduce usefulness. More...
August 6, 2010
Basil Wolverton's instructional design
Silly, but instructional, comics from the late '40s. More...
July 15, 2010
When the going gets tough
If you want to make more money as a tech writer, maybe you just need a fancier title. More...
June 19, 2010
Interactive Word command reference
An online interactive tool for changing from Word version to another. More...
June 16, 2010
Written by committee
How many people does it take to write a short open source manual? More than you'd think. More...
June 15, 2010
Authoring Apple Help with Texinfo
Using free tools to create HTML, PDF, and Apple Help. More...
May 27, 2010
Firefox attempts humor
Returning to the subject of humor in documentation. More...
May 19, 2010
Teach them to fish
Perhaps documentation should teach users how to find what they're looking for, elsewhere. More...
May 19, 2010
Complexity as a form of job security
Do horrible computer systems, and manuals, preserve the need for technical writers? More...
May 3, 2010
Apple Publications Style Guide updated
The latest documentation style guide from Apple includes iPhone terminology. More...
April 16, 2010
Remembering Microsoft Bob
It has been 15 years since Bob spoiled active user assistance. More...
March 29, 2010
Lessons from eye-tracking studies
How people read a page is important, how will they view your Help? More...
March 26, 2010
Help Gallery Update
Over 1000 example implementations of onscreen help are now available. More...
March 21, 2010
Words cannot be divorced from design
Getting Real recognizes that good writing is good design. More...
March 13, 2010
Frame your iPhone screenshots
Make your iPhone screenshots look like product beauty shots. More...
March 4, 2010
Developing a useful style guide
Tips on creating or finding a departmental writing style guide. More...
February 25, 2010
Quick! Help!
Is there a spot for help within the realm of "augmented reality?" More...
February 21, 2010
RubyFrontier, a tool for HTML Help
A tool for generating web sites and onscreen help. More...
January 17, 2010
Gallery of iPhone Help
A new gallery of onscreen help focuses on iPhone applications. More...
January 2, 2010
Sometimes marketing is right
An illustrated example of the difference between information and documentation. More...
December 23, 2009
Instruction manuals for criminals
A burglar is busted with a self-written "how to" book. More...
December 19, 2009
Do cookbooks teach you how to cook?
Or do they tell you what, but never how or why. More...
December 14, 2009
Better iPhone tutorial movies
A developer reveals techniques and tools for creating movies of iPhone applications. More...
November 30, 2009
User testing can be a waste of time
The reality of usability studies is different from the intent. More...
November 25, 2009
Help as a polishing step
Writing documentation reveals hidden flaws in your product. More...
November 11, 2009
Cinematic video-based tutorials
A mobile storyboarding tool could help with your tutorials. More...
November 8, 2009
Designing for myopic readers
All that great contextual help you wrote? It's never been read. More...
October 30, 2009
Another attempt at digital magazines
An interesting onscreen magazine that seems to work. More...
October 21, 2009
More on Apple Help with Voodoo Pad
Use advanced techniques to create permanent links. More...
September 27, 2009
Comic instructions
Enjoy yourself while you learn to make chai syrup. What a concept! More...
September 19, 2009
Annotating Onscreen Help
An example of how readers can augment a publication. More...
September 10, 2009
The death of techno literacy
Customers don't know, and don't care to know, and neither do writers. More...
September 2, 2009
Help on Help on Help on...
If you can't figure out how to use Help, can you figure out the help on Help? More...
August 26, 2009
When more is more
A 1930s film about mechanical engineering is a real treat. More...
August 15, 2009
Nature's God, Pogued
The Missing Manual series finally publishes a missing manual. More...
August 7, 2009
PandaWare updates Simple Help Editor
The basic cross-platform authoring tool gets a big update. More...
July 24, 2009
The web has changed writing forever
The web provides a means to publish long and short form information, like never before. More...
July 5, 2009
The weight of history
SMS and Help both suffer from decisions made for other media. More...
June 28, 2009
Apple Help and iPhone at WWDC
The chief of Writers UA attends an Apple developers conference and brings back news and observations. More...
June 19, 2009
What value do you add?
Can professional publishers offer anything that amateurs do not? More...
June 18, 2009
Instructional video delivers life
Man watches YouTube to learn how to deliver baby. More...
May 31, 2009
Authoring Apple Help with Voodoo Pad
Using Voodoo Pad to create Apple Help is outlined. More...
May 20, 2009
Breaking old new ground
The 1987 instructional video Meet Adobe Illustrator introduced users to a whole new way of working. More...
May 19, 2009
Remembering steps
Brain research suggests that learned tasks are remembered differently after being recalled. More...
May 7, 2009
Are games the last basion of documentation?
Productivity apps don't need printed manuals, apparently, but games still do. More...
May 3, 2009
Contributory contradictions
The sad state of civility on the Internet could spoil your online documentation. More...
April 17, 2009
The price of free documentation
Will the rush to free documentation leave us out of work? More...
April 12, 2009
PopSci's interactive magazine
The Genius Guide series eschews traditional how-to publishing. More...
March 28, 2009
MacSnapper, a documentation tool
A new tool for simple documentation in PDF, HTML, and WordPress format. More...
March 28, 2009
Poorly written manuals cause rage
Are readers flying into fits of rage over your documentation? More...
March 12, 2009
Classic instruction manuals
Old manuals demonstrate how far we've come, or perhaps not. More...
March 7, 2009
Searching proactively
A Google exec hints at finding answers before you know you need them. More...
February 28, 2009
Encouraging mobile learning
Kids spend more time learning from "screens" than any other method. More...
February 22, 2009
Tagging documentation
Tagging is very popular, but does it actually work? More...
February 14, 2009
Windows screen capture tools, reviewed
WritersUA helps Windows users find the best tool for their job. More...
February 6, 2009
Horrible manuals for consumer electronics
Complex electronic gadgets are poorly documented, according to the New York Times. More...
January 30, 2009
Approaching tedium
Are repetition and long sequences bad for learning? Perhaps not. More...
January 27, 2009
More iPhone optimized documentation
Apple's Xserve Field Guide for iPhone is noted. More...
January 17, 2009
Implementing Apple Help screencast
Watch a tutorial movie to learn the basics, and beyond, of Apple Help. More...
January 10, 2009
Has Google changed technical writing?
As we enter 2009, what will you do to move our field forward, and make our product more useful and relevant to our customers? More...
December 19, 2008
Using Doxygen with Xcode projects
Add your own doc set to the Mac OS X and iPhone development tools. More...
December 7, 2008
Self-documenting Products
Documenting your product using your product is a tricky proposition. More...
November 23, 2008
Apple Publications Style Guide 2008
Apple has released an update to its style guide that includes iPhone terminology. More...
November 13, 2008
Correcting virtual errors in the physical world
If the software has a mistake, can you fix it in the real world? More...
November 10, 2008
Design notes for an iPhone tutorial
An inside peek at one developer's solution for providing Help on iPhone. More...
October 29, 2008
Documenting button-by-button
An alternative to task-based documentation gets more powerful. More...
October 12, 2008
Authoring Apple Help with OmniOutliner
A free toolset for creating Apple Help from Omni Group. More...
October 3, 2008
Inventing names for documentation
Need a user name for your doc? Borrow from the techniques of fiction writing. More...
September 28, 2008
Explaining through animation
Hitatchi turns to animation to explain its latest storage technology. More...
September 14, 2008
Comic art and technical information
Google turns to comic art master Scott McCloud to help explain its latest project. More...
September 1, 2008
Documentation for getting a grip
Let's start with square one: Here's how to hold your gizmo. More...
August 30, 2008
Documenting gaming systems
Can the sub-speciality of game documentation offer lessons for the software world? More...
August 17, 2008
Documentation optimized for iPhone
View Apple's iPhone documentation without an iPhone. More...
August 13, 2008
Tool for observing usability testing
A new inexpensive Mac tool for usability testing looks promising. More...
August 1, 2008
Usable Help Bookshelf: Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing
A fun and handy grammar guide to keep at your desk. More...
July 28, 2008
Help that illuminates
An advanced user describes what he looks for in help and documentation. More...
July 23, 2008
Gallery of Onscreen Help anniversary update
Usable Help is six years old, and the Gallery of Onscreen Help has been updated with over 160 new exhibits. More...
July 20, 2008
Creating user assistance Wizards for Mac OS X
A fast-track implementation of a wizard, or setup assistant, can make your users happy. More...
July 19, 2008
Mistaking broken products for confusing instructions
Product returns are a big problem for the industry. Find out how you can help. More...
July 13, 2008
Too simple to believe
Even the simplest of procedures can confuse users if they expect things to be harder than the really are. A Macworld article provides an example. More...
June 29, 2008
Instructional search engine
The new FindHow search engine puts trusted instructional materials within easy reach. More...
June 23, 2008
An example of simple Wiki-based instructions
When it comes to wiki-based documentation, "just do it" comes to mind. More...
May 30, 2008
Error messages that help
A systematic approach to error messages can greatly improve results. More...
May 11, 2008
See Dick sudo
A child's guide to home server technology brings a smile, from a surprising source. More...
April 25, 2008
Contextual cues for the user
A case study in using contextual help to alert users to product features. More...
April 18, 2008
Keyword access to websites
Instead of giving your readers URLs, teach them to search. More...
April 10, 2008
Why customers write their own documentation
An O'Reilly survey provides insight into the motivation of would-be technical communicators. More...
April 3, 2008
Updated job aid creation tool
ScreenSteps 2 says that traditional documentation is broken, and provides the fix. More...
March 21, 2008
Acknowledging the medium
Instead of bemoaning the design fidelity of onscreen presentations, use the capability to better present your documentation. More...
March 12, 2008
One-on-One envy
Personalized, individual training at the Apple Stores might make tech writers long for more outside contact. More...
March 8, 2008
Apple mockumentation
If only more products were documented like the "iHam." More...
March 2, 2008
This PDF brought to you by...
A program from Adobe that lets you insert ads in PDFs, and get paid for every click. More...
February 19, 2008
Helpful setup help
Two case studies in starting your customer out right. More...
February 4, 2008
Web 2.0 and humor
Usually, critical errors are nothing to laugh about. More...
January 25, 2008
Sponsored Help
Don't laugh, you heard it here first. More...
January 17, 2008
The multiple roles of documentation
Does your manual also act as marketing material? More...
January 9, 2008
In praise of PDFs
Five qualities that make PDFs the format of choice for electronic publishing. More...
January 5, 2008
From Web Archive to Help
A simple way to author HTML-based Help on the Mac. More...
December 31, 2007
Scannable Help
Do your readers know what they're looking at? More...
December 19, 2007
Comic Life for instructional design
A fun application makes it easy to add a little fun to task instructions. More...
December 8, 2007
The cognitive load of documentation
Is your documentation a burden to read? More...
December 4, 2007
Long or tedious: pick one
Breaking up long tasks is a challenge, and there might not be a simple answer. More...
November 28, 2007
Interesting new Windows tools from Madcap
Two tools enter beta, and might change the way you work. More...
November 10, 2007
Learn about Apple Help at WritersUA
Apple Help info at the former WinWriters conference. More...
November 5, 2007
Latest info about Apple Help
A new manual from Apple provides details on using Apple Help. More...
November 3, 2007
It's a light switch
An overly-documented light switch at Sun Labs. More...
October 19, 2007
Avoiding doomed projects
Learn when you should run away from a job offer. More...
October 14, 2007
The care and feeding of engineers
Tips for effectively working with subject matter experts. More...
October 11, 2007
Calling Apple Help from Java
Sample code from Apple simplifies making Java apps more Mac-like. More...
October 6, 2007
Clippy's smile
A Yale researcher might have found the real reason you hated Clippy. More...
September 28, 2007
Better Help for the less-confident
Language, it turns out, might discourage people from attempting to solve a problem. More...
September 24, 2007
Try DITA online
A free online DITA editor for using, or exploring, the authoring toolkit. More...
September 23, 2007
3-1-huh?
The TSA wonders why people don't understand its confusing instructions. More...
September 16, 2007
An authoring tool for Apple Help
An automated way to build your Mac OS X help systems More...
September 7, 2007
From 1984
The original Macintosh user's guide, examined. More...
September 3, 2007
Help beta test a cross-platform HAT
PandaWare's help editor can use your help. More...
August 30, 2007
Understanding engineers
When "trivial" doesn't mean easy or fast. More...
August 16, 2007
When you need fake user data
Valid but random personal information is a handy thing for your documentation. More...
August 7, 2007
Does helpification ruin your website?
Technical writing's lasting contribution to literature. More...
August 1, 2007
Factually unhelpful
Throwing facts at your readers won't help them make the right choices. More...
July 22, 2007
Writing Apple Help using LaTeX
A tool for creating Apple Help from a LaTeX document. More...
July 13, 2007
Lorem ipsum saywhat?
Do you provide default or sample data that might sow confusion for your readers? More...
July 7, 2007
MS Help wiki for everyone
The MS Help wiki offers resources for all help authors, regardless of platform or proclivities. More...
July 2, 2007
Recognizing an error when you see it
Helpful and in-context error messages are tricky, but here's one that is pretty close to perfect. More...
June 25, 2007
A look at DITA and help
Windows HTML Help proves challenging when using DITA. More...
June 18, 2007
Overlooked Technical Writers
A fun peek into a world where tech writers get to play games. More...
May 28, 2007
A book is still a book
Instead of killing the book, redefine it. More...
May 17, 2007
The instructional iPod
Perhaps your next documentation suite should include an iPod-based deliverable. More...
May 11, 2007
Watching the monkeys
A clever animal behaviorist watches how humans watch apes in a zoo, and learns something about documentation. More...
April 27, 2007
Changing writer's mindsets
To transform your documentation, you must first change those who create it. More...
April 20, 2007
Catbert on techwriter salary levels
Feeling underappreciated? Don't bother reading this. More...
April 13, 2007
One foot in the grave
Many printed magazines are going digital-only. More...
April 12, 2007
Resisting complexity
Saying no to complexity is among the hardest tasks that writers face. More...
April 8, 2007
More mockumentation from VW
Fake manuals are more fun than real manuals, right? More...
March 23, 2007
So long, WinHelp
Just as with Clippy, the old WinHelp format is no longer supported in Windows Vista. But this time, users are likely to care. More...
March 18, 2007
So long, Clippy
What is Microsoft's iconic user assistant's legacy? More...
March 17, 2007
Tips about tips
Tips for writing contextual information apply to Help, too. More...
March 11, 2007
The going rate
The WritersUA salary survey reveals inside details about professional technical writing. More...
March 7, 2007
More site updates
At last, an easy-to-use feedback mechanism returns to Usable Help. More...
March 4, 2007
FMs that customers will R
Would better documentation really help sell a product? More...
March 3, 2007
Adobe is committed to Framemaker
A new official blog from a Framemaker team member says that Adobe is absolutely committed to Framemaker customers. Honest. More...
February 26, 2007
Creating the world's largest manual
The WikiHow project aims to document everything, tech writers take note. More...
February 20, 2007
A Windows tool for Apple Help
A simple Apple Help editor that runs on both Mac OS X and Windows. More...
February 18, 2007
A new look and other updates
Today brings a whole new look to Usable Help, and a big update to the Gallery of Onscreen Help. More...
February 11, 2007
Simpler UI mock-ups
Creating a user interface sketch that communicates, instead of distracts, isn’t so easy. Perhaps until now. More...
February 7, 2007
Easy job aid creation tool
If you need to quickly create a step-by-step instruction sheet for a simple task, this tool will let you do so quickly. More...
February 1, 2007
Motivation to create a tutorial
Mac-using instructional designers might want to try their hand at a tutorial contest, nice prizes are in play. More...
January 30, 2007
Screencasts worth watching
The challenges and rewards of screencasting. More...
January 25, 2007
Enchanted documentation
An odd marketing piece offers interesting examples. More...
January 19, 2007
Creating Help from a wiki
A developer discloses the tips and tools necessary for extracting content from a wiki. More...
January 5, 2007
Learn XO Sugar by exploring
Will the XO Computer fully embrace minimalism? More...
January 1, 2007
Hiring and being hired
Finding a good tech writing job, or finding a good tech writer, is harder than you'd think. More...
December 23, 2006
Safety warnings inspire spoof
Nintendo's unique safety illustrations inspire fun. More...
December 13, 2006
An approach to "universal" documentation
UDO provides a toolset for "multi-channel" publishing, but its not what you think. More...
December 8, 2006
Breaking the Laws of Simplicity
Does your documentation make the product seem hard to use? Sony seems to have fallen into this trap at least once. More...
November 25, 2006
Stop linking. Embed instead.
Show me an extensively hyperlinked help system and I'll show you a frustrated reader. Can newer technology avoid the problem? More...
November 25, 2006
The softer side of technical writing
Looking beyond bits and bytes, to bites, we can learn a lot about instructional design. More...
November 23, 2006
How to write longer Help
Special tips on making Help pagesthat are complex and long. More...
November 5, 2006
Overlooked legalese
You might slave over the readability of your manual, but is your legal boilerplate section a mess? More...
October 22, 2006
Two MadCap tools for Windows Help
A new replacement Help Viewer and format, plus a screen recorder. MadCap has been busy! More...
October 19, 2006
Test-driving dynamic documentation
One way to get a feel for non-static onscreen documentation is to give PHP Doc a spin. More...
October 19, 2006
Watch and learn
The latest version of a utility from Boinx Software brings visual clarity to any demonstration or instruction. More...
September 30, 2006
Magnetic help authoring toolkit
Like magnetic poetry, what words would you need in your fridge kit? More...
September 19, 2006
Tips for successful technical writers
A website offers advice for those starting their careers. More...
September 19, 2006
A mental model of onscreen help
An illustrated view of how Help works. More...
September 9, 2006
Navigation hinderances in help
Just because links are easy it doesn't mean you should overdo it. More...
September 8, 2006
Why aren't manuals prettier?
If the manual were as pretty as the marketing brochure, would anyone really notice? More...
September 8, 2006
Close, but no cigar
A unique design for a PDF that's very readable but with a major usability flaw. More...
August 28, 2006
Welcome to friggin' help
A new W3C working group hopes to create a markup language for conveying emotional states. More...
August 1, 2006
What if you wrote a book and nobody noticed?
Stats about book buying and reading habits in the US should inform technical writers. More...
August 1, 2006
PDF usage and trends
Tech-smart O'Reilly Media is experimenting with PDF sales of books, and has released some info about adoption and reaction. More...
July 23, 2006
In pursuit of linguistics
Different perspectives lend an eye to improving onscreen text and documentation. More...
July 17, 2006
Making the easy look hard
An illustration confuses more than it clarifies. More...
July 10, 2006
A funny manual that works
A rare gem indeed - a useful and funny software manual. More...
July 8, 2006
A look back: SR-71 Blackbird
What does the manual look like for the world's fastest plane? About how you'd expect. More...
July 8, 2006
Nom de Plume redux
Another new and handy way to generate fabricated user information. More...
June 22, 2006
Old Disney manuals
Ahoy! What can we learn from the operator's guide for a Disney ride? More...
June 1, 2006
A rose by any other name
You say "tech writer," I say "instructional designer." Let's just get back to work. More...
May 29, 2006
Gender differences in documentation use
Do men look at manuals about as often as they ask for directiions? More...
May 1, 2006
Moving readers forward
Giving readers too many choices, and distracting them with their past, subverts their goal of finding information. More...
April 20, 2006
Regarding sexism and technical writing
How does sexism and job growth impact the field of technical writing? More...
April 15, 2006
HelpML revisited
Two viewers for HelpML allow you to try out the nascent standard. More...
April 2, 2006
Cooking without Jargon
High tech isn't the only subject area that challenges tech writers. More...
March 23, 2006
Updated Apple style guide
A new edition is available for free, last updated in 2003. More...
March 12, 2006
A Look Back: Pong
Does the first Atari manual resemble today's documentation? More...
March 12, 2006
Flare debuts
The long-awaited replacement for RoboHelp is now available. More...
March 4, 2006
Help creating Apple Help
Third-party documentation and templates greatly simplify creating Help for Mac OS X. More...
February 25, 2006
Are you a victim of onscreen Help?
A columnist claims that Adobe victimizes its customers by providing onscreen documentation. More...
February 7, 2006
Quick! Help sucks or rocks?
Web surfers decide if a page is worthwhile in 50 milliseconds, do they do the same for your Help? More...
February 5, 2006
An example of user-supplemented Help
How would it work if your customers could annotate the documentation for each other? From the looks of it, quite well! More...
January 29, 2006
Real-life barriers to self-help systems
An article about self-service grocery store kiosks raises issues for Help and support, too. More...
January 16, 2006
Help Gallery update
The gallery now includes over 300 sample onscreen help implementations. More...
January 1, 2006
Good apps start with good documentation
A quick look at the top Mac applications reveals the traits they share, including excellent documentation. More...
December 29, 2005
The hidden cost of complex documentation
Some companies are finding that an overly-complex documentation suite actually hurts their product, and profits. More...
December 29, 2005
Internet-based document review
TidBITS describes their experience using QuickTopic for reviewing drafts of a manual. More...
November 19, 2005
Manuals as an audio book
An Apple manual has been released as an audio book, does it work well? There are a lot of challenges in audio-only documentation. More...
November 7, 2005
Quick research for tutorial authors
If you have to create a tutorial, this one-stop-shop will help you quickly find how others have approached the task. More...
November 3, 2005
Better than nothing
Is a datad approach to documentation better than no doc at all? Barely. More...
November 3, 2005
Card Sorting on Mac OS X
Card sorting is a handy, if labor-intensive, tool. A new application for Mac OS X makes it easier. More...
September 28, 2005
Too obscure, too fast
It's hard to write short and meaningful messages for public transit riders, see if you can do better than the CTA. More...
September 5, 2005
A good system can't fix bad Help
A study of a poorly written help system might lead you to the wrong conclusions. More...
August 14, 2005
More than software
It's unfortunate that high-tech documentation often overshadows other types of technical writing. A collection of old submarine manuals provides a reminder of a less byte-centric world. More...
July 27, 2005
Screen capture tools reviewed
Next to a good text editor, a screen capture utility is tech writer's best friend. More...
July 4, 2005
We have a Word problem
Is not having a manual worse than having a bad one? More...
June 26, 2005
Watch the #$&! manual
Get ready for an instructional "screencast" coming to a computer near you. More...
June 16, 2005
A peek inside Office Online Assistance
Starting with just a shoestring budget, the Microsoft Office team used a simple Internet approach to draw valuable info from customers. More...
June 1, 2005
Are tech writers agents of the devil?
Of the downsides of being a technical writers, karmic damage might be worst of all. More...
May 25, 2005
Dial M for Mouse
If you thought multimedia-based technical instruction began in the '80s, check out this film from the '20s. More...
May 21, 2005
Admin: Back on the air
After a brief hiatus, Usable Help updates return. Thanks for your patience. More...
May 16, 2005
Ins and Outs of Indices
Are indices an essential or unnecessary component of onscreen help? The answer might be both. More...
May 16, 2005
Stumbling towards standards
Help systems are evolving from one-off designs, to loosely standards-based, to, well, perhaps back to proprietary designs. Evolution moves slowly, at best. More...
February 22, 2005
Help plug-in for FileMaker Pro
Cross-platform developer environments often forgo the use of the help system. SimpleHelp, a plug-in for FileMaker Pro 7, brings some relief for Mac and Windows users. More...
February 16, 2005
Counterfeit manuals complete the package
When purchasing fake software, be sure to get your fake manual too. Could this be the last refuge of printed documentation? More...
January 23, 2005
Misery loves company
Having a bad day? The site This Is Broken is sure to cheer you up, or at least put your own mistakes in a new perspective. More...
January 23, 2005
A tangent on tangents
In the not-so-distance past, manuals included tangential information because they could. Nowadays, the support web site gets to have all the fun. More...
January 9, 2005
Sharpen your saw at WritersUA
The WritersUA Conference offers practical and forward-looking tips and information. I'll be presenting this year, I hope to see you there. Viva Las Vegas! More...
January 2, 2005
The siren call of a FAQ
Every product needs a FAQ, apparently, so you might as well learn how to write one. More...
January 2, 2005
Easing the pain of translation
HTML-based Help is a boon for technical writers, but it's tricky to translate. A free tool from Stormdance might make it easier to manage. More...
January 2, 2005
The crabby office lady offers help
A look at how Microsoft combines humanity, humor, and helpful advise on their Office Assistant web site. More...
December 24, 2004
Improving public documentation
Take a freely-available documentation set and add a customized application that's better designed for onscreen reading to create a more usable manual. More...
December 12, 2004
A checklist for modern Help
Does your onscreen Help system account for the best practices of modern technical writing? WritersUA gives you a checklist to quickly determine if it does. More...
November 24, 2004
A peek in the JavaHelp kitchen
A Sun weblog provides information about new features and related information. More...
November 13, 2004
Improve your Help's topic titles and summaries
This just in; writing good headlines increases the usability of your help. Learn how to assist users in finding the topics that answer their questions. More...
November 6, 2004
O'Reilly bridges print and onscreen gap
The new SafariU service allows college professors to assemble custom textbooks from published and contributed materials. Will an end-user version be far behind? More...
November 6, 2004
Computers help you learn to swear
A Florida Today columnist's new laptop teaches him how to curse like a sailor, but not much else. More...
October 30, 2004
A succinct guide to being succinct
Reducing the number of words you use makes your writing easier to read and friendlier, according to a useful guide to improving your documentation. More...
October 11, 2004
A requiem for documentation
An article "The Death of Documentation," written six years ago, still offers tangible advice for companies and technical writers. More...
September 20, 2004
Easier screenshots on Mac OS X
A simple freeware utility saves oodles of time, and prevents potential embarassment, when taking full screen pictures on Mac OS X. More...
September 20, 2004
A documentation user's guide
The New York Times write about an essential add-on for the Philips Pronto; a guide to using its manual. More...
September 5, 2004
Childhood instruction manual
A new book for parents aims to ensure that their kids have the basic skills of childhood well under control. Its instructional approach demonstrates that manuals don't have to be boring and insignificant. More...
September 5, 2004
Listen to how far we've come
An old Mac Plus audio tour captures the dawn of the first commercial GUI. More...
August 31, 2004
Printing PDF manuals
Printing a large manual at home isn't very practical, so services arise to fill the gap. More...
July 29, 2004
A Documentation Catch-22
It's tempting to provide onscreen Help in an application's native format, but it's a rare application that is good for its intended purpose, and good at delivering onscreen help. More...
July 20, 2004
Help would be nice, if I had time
If every device and product in your house needs technical support, who has time to read the manuals? And if you do, will the documentation tell you what you need to know? More...
July 5, 2004
Nip/Tuck CD cuts to the chase
The troubleshooting instructions on a Nip/Tuck CD-ROM are pragmatic, realistic, and unhelpful. More...
July 4, 2004
Turning DVD into Fishes
They say that illustrations and diagrams can really enhance instructional materials, but Toshiba does their best to prove otherwise. More...
June 25, 2004
Help users are tunnel readers
There's a fine line to walk between answering the question that users are asking and giving them tangental information that they'll probably enjoy. More...
June 16, 2004
Everyday instructions
Artist Matthew Vescovo demonstrates that even everyday activities can be beautifully documented. Why can't all instruction be this fun? More...
June 12, 2004
Documentation, five years out
Seth Godin paints a picture of the future that give every tech writer pause to think. About the impact on their careers, and how their craft will thrive in such a world. More...
June 8, 2004
You do what?
When you can't explain to others what it is you do for a living, and it boils down to what you do for a living is explain things, you're in big trouble. More...
May 29, 2004
Just play it
MacPlay responds with wit and logic to a customer who misses printed games manuals. More...
May 16, 2004
Better learning through better searching
Teaching customers how to search for information could be the greatest gift you can give them. More...
May 16, 2004
Keyboard reference on demand
KeyCue provides a new approach to keyboard shortcut reference cards. More...
May 6, 2004
Guidebooks for the smart but uninformed
Kevin Kelley observes that guidebooks are better when they are written for smart people, by smart people. More...
May 6, 2004
Everyone's a publisher
The upcoming group of customers, dubbed "Generation C", are not just information consumers -- they're adhoc publishers. Can technical writers keep up? More...
April 26, 2004
The not so hidden cost of paper
Two rumors of printed documentation being taxed, and jetisioned to save a sinking ship, reflect the value of manuals to our corporate culture. More...
April 22, 2004
Sony wants you to shun the printed page
Yet another e-book reader appears on the market, this time from Sony in Japan. Will this be the one that makes significant inroads against paper? More...
April 22, 2004
Comic Art and Instruction
Single-page comics that teach kids how to build things demonstrate that cartoon art and instructional design can be well-joined. More...
April 16, 2004
Simulating error conditions
Writers often need to simulate problems with their computers in order to document how to solve problems. An industry organization provides an easy way to simulate a virus infection. More...
April 16, 2004
Watch out for that Help, it's a trap
As help systems get smarter, and more intertwined with the system, doors left open can be abused. A CERT security alert identifies a vulnerability in Windows HTML Help. More...
April 9, 2004
An Apple Help Case Study
Matt Neuburg provides a case study in which the Help is built for Affrus, using Apple Help and Tinderbox. More...
April 3, 2004
Novices hurt more than themselves
The consequences of careless computing impact everyone. Can technical writers benefit society by helping newbies cope? More...
March 27, 2004
Amazon's archive of manuals
Shoppers at Amazon.com can download product manuals in PDF. This is also handy for writers seeking a little competitive or inspirational research. More...
March 19, 2004
See Figure Boring and Obvious, Above
The paucity of useful supporting graphics in most technical documentation speaks to the written-word orientation of most technical writers, but by learning how to caption illustration effectively, documentation becomes more useful. More...
March 14, 2004
Accidental experts
Are customers becoming more sophisticated, and less tolerant of support and documentation that talks down to them? More...
March 7, 2004
Designing for Instant Gratification
The "Googleization" of information retrievals leads to users who simply turn elsewhere if you're not making it easy for them to use your documentation. More...
March 1, 2004
Desperately Seeking Hlep
In today's world, search-strategy literacy is a key element in locating the information you need to do your job. But if you can't spell what you're looking for, good luck. More...
February 20, 2004
Context adds life
Documentation, like training, is more successful when it helps users make connections between what they already know. More...
February 20, 2004
ManualsNoMore
A new software distribution method. SoftwareToGo, drives another nail into the coffin of printed manuals and documentation. More...
February 15, 2004
Technologists need not apply
Many tech writers actually believe it's to the their advantage to not understand, or really be all that interested in, the subject of their labor. It's the dirty little secret of the industry. More...
February 8, 2004
Uniformly lacking in clarity
Page after page, help systems look alike. A study by Elaine Toms suggests that consistent, mindless information formatting may prevent users from making sense of the content. More...
February 8, 2004
Producing usable newsletters
Newsletters combine technical, support, and marketing writing. The STC Usability SIG offers some tips on doing it correctly. More...
February 1, 2004
I see usable help in your future
A sign of the times -- horoscopes that promise the ability to comprehend unintelligible manuals. More...
January 24, 2004
Bringing Extreme (XP) practices to writing
Are technical writers prepared for development and release cycles that occur on a daily basis? Not without some serious rethinking of their processes. More...
January 24, 2004
Cracking open a CHM
If you need to extract information from, or even just view, a Microsoft Help CHM file some open source tools will make your day. More...
January 18, 2004
Effective Help system navigation
Most help systems are stuck in a traditional organization of their contents. The requirements and observations in an ACM article could provide the key needed to break out of the mire. More...
January 11, 2004
References for reference books
Tech writers don't need a large bookshelf, but there are a few key publications that can make life easier. A discussion on TECHWR-L highlights some of the best. More...
January 4, 2004
Apple's first manual
Happy 20th birthday, Macintosh. An online copy of the Apple 1 system manual demonstrates how far we've come. More...
January 3, 2004
Confusion -- The gift that keeps on giving
Sure, holiday gifts are all well and good, until you have to confront the instruction manuals that accompany most products. More...
December 29, 2003
Help in your pocket
PocketHelp is a new tool for authoring onscreen Help for Windows CE-based devices. More...
December 29, 2003
Humor as a quality that readers love
A little humor in a technical document goes a long way, but the fact that it exists at all indicates something about the product, and the company behind it. More...
December 24, 2003
Help Usability Comic
OK/Cancel peeks inside the Help usability labs at three companies. More...
December 24, 2003
Overcoming single-source problems
Writing a document once, then publishing it in different formats, often results in an overly compromised publication that is mediocre in all incarnations. More...
December 19, 2003
NASA Style Guide available online
NASA's publication style guide is available in PDF format, allowing the word-obsessed to complete their collection of reference books. More...
December 19, 2003
Still Greek to Most
It's easy to poke fun at obvious mistakes, but let's start blaming the authors who make us feel stupid. More...
December 19, 2003
Smart Buckets and onscreen documentation
An exploration in archival technology for digital libraries could make product documentation more portable and easy to use. More...
December 10, 2003
The vanishing technical writer
As the role of tech writers vanishes into information and web design, will their core strength, providing solid content, be enough to save them? More...
December 6, 2003
Imitating material books in electronic formats
Building onscreen books by mimicking the physical traits of books is doomed to failure because of differences on the conceptual and metaphorical levels. More...
November 28, 2003
The hidden cost of obviousness
When the Help over-communicates, users dismiss it, and miss what good information it does contain. More...
November 23, 2003
More on embedded Help
A DevShed article provides an overview for ensuring that the text present in the UI is truly helpful. More...
November 23, 2003
Getting started with structured writing
It may seem like you need a complex hierarchy, and you might find that you've been writing for the product instead of the user, but in the end you'll discover new ways of looking at your Help. More...
November 16, 2003
Measuring Help
Polling users about what they want to see in Help could result in more focused documentation. More...
November 9, 2003
Smile, and select the PDF you want to use
The AppleScript tool Smile provides PDFs formatted for onscreen and printed use, so neither onscreen nor print user need to suffer. More...
October 25, 2003
A flaw in the DNA of Help
If more than half of the US adult population has problems with understanding lengthy text and following sequential tasks, then onscreen Help is doomed by its birthright. More...
October 21, 2003
Additions to the Help Gallery
Over 25 new example Help screens have been added to the Gallery of Onscreen Help. Each of the links leads to a new entry for your viewing pleasure. More...
October 14, 2003
PC & Pixel on product documentation
The comic strip PC & Pixel provides a Rorschach Test for documentation trends, or maybe it's just a simple gag. More...
October 14, 2003
Adobe's CS manuals
Adobe moves to PDF-only manuals with the forthcoming Creative Studio. More...
October 14, 2003
The value of writing less
It's difficult to write frugally, but it results in more usable documentation. More...
October 11, 2003
Viewing print-centric documents onscreen
An experimental utility for Mac OS X, called Tofu, provides a way to optimize documents for onscreen use. More...
October 5, 2003
Creating dynamic Help with JSP
These overviews of deploying JavaServer Pages and storing help in a database will provide you with basic tools for creating a Help system that changes and evolves. More...
October 5, 2003
Smarter Help
Once your Help system is live on the Internet, in what ways could it adapt to your customer's behavior? More...
September 28, 2003
Who needs Help when you have the Web?
The Wall Street Journal spreads the meme that nobody uses Help. The truth isn't always so simple. More...
September 23, 2003
Adaptive tutorials
Video games draw users in by ramping up the challenge over time. Would tutorials be more successful if they followed this model? More...
September 10, 2003
Customer reactions to PDF manuals
Left to talk amongst themselves, what do your customers say about PDF-format documentation? More...
September 1, 2003
Click, drag, smile
It's rare to find a single joke in a technical manual, let alone a whole book with a humorous slant. More...
September 1, 2003
Additional developments in fourth-party publications
Adam Engst, an author and computer publisher, discusses electronic publishing experiments, and a new fourth-party book about Mac OS X arrives on the scene. More...
August 23, 2003
Replacing a missing manual
Most manufacturers offer PDF-format manuals online, but the WSJ reports on LiveManuals.com, a site which not only offers direct links to about 500 product guides, but goes beyond by adding "visual" guides to common tasks. More...
August 16, 2003
Context-sensitive Help primer
A helpful and concise overview of Windows context-sensitive Help also reveals the overhead and integration necessary to implement this valuable instructional technique. More...
August 10, 2003
Fourth-party documentation
"Fourth-party documentation" is independently produced and authored, without affiliation with large publishers, and usually comes to market thanks to small-scale, Internet-based production, distribution, and sales technology. More...
August 10, 2003
The perils of assumption
All documentation has to make some assumptions, but to make the right ones you need to know your audience well, tailor your documentation to serve them, and position your work so its intent, audience, and purpose are clear. More...
August 3, 2003
Visit the Hall of Technical Documentation Weirdness
Even among the surreal one can find an example thoughtful, contextual Help. More...
August 1, 2003
Learning from mockumentation
A body spray for men, Axe, presents a documentation parody that real manuals would do well to emulate. More...
July 25, 2003
Delivery platforms
For the best user experience, deliver your Help in the format that's provided by the OS. But if there's some reason you just can't do the right thing, or if you need help getting there, there are several tools at your disposal. More...
July 20, 2003
Writers who won't RTFM
A liberal application of "practice what you preach" might make life easier for technical communicators. More...
July 13, 2003
Quick reference cards
Quick reference cards can be useful, but they're rarely provided by the manufacturer. This creates a third-party opportunity for documentation authors with good design skills. More...
July 10, 2003
Bite, Chew, Repeat.
Wordless instructions are the holy grail of documentation. They require no localization, no writer, and often less paper. But documenting something as simple as how to eat a sandwich or burrito isn't as simple as it seems. More...
July 4, 2003
The power of narrative
Narrative is the way human beings actually manage to understand and interact with the world. The traditional soulless corporate voice and valueless treatment of a product's features contribute to the poor perception of technical documentation. More...
June 30, 2003
Omit needless instructions
The holy grail of "best practices" for Help authoring is hard to find, which is too bad because some print and web conventions don't make sense for onscreen Help. More...
June 25, 2003
Get a life, not a manual
An advert from Canon shocking asserts that customers would rather use a product instead of reading about it. More...
June 20, 2003
Information format trends
A librarian's organization finds that electronic publishing is growing faster than print, but the Web has brought easy access to small-time publishing. Despite the trend, there's an opportunity here for technical writers. More...
June 16, 2003
Style Guide revisions
In the ever-changing world of technology, writing style guides need to be updated frequently. Sun Microsystems and Apple Computer make their latest guidelines available to the public. More...
June 11, 2003
Can't see the forest for the trees
Learning to use a computer by using the documentation is like learning to drive by reading about the transmission, brakes, and internal combustion engine. More...
June 6, 2003
And in 1996, nothing happened
The STC's timeline of technical communications is interesting for its historical tidbits and nearsightedness. More...
June 6, 2003
Help Gallery update
An update to the Gallery of Onscreen Help brings about 190 snapshots of Help books from your peers and competitors. More...
May 29, 2003
Info info everywhere, but not a thing to read
An abundance of computer storage allows you to have hundreds of movies, pictures, and photos at your fingertips. Or, thousands of books. But where is the killer application that would make those books useful? More...
May 26, 2003
Tutorials for shareware products
The popular shareware Graphic Converter garners a third-party training course. Is there an untapped market for supplemental documentation supporting shareware? More...
May 23, 2003
What do they really think?
One way to find out what customers think of your product's documentation is to ask them. Another is to see what they're saying behind your back. More...
May 17, 2003
Test drive OmniHelp
A design report for this cross-platform, open-source Help system is informative and also provides a working example of a typical implementation. More...
May 13, 2003
Comparing Help
An operating system shoot-out discusses some problems with the Help for Windows XP and Mac OS X. More...
May 13, 2003
Write Me
Most "read me" files can be safely ignored since their content is often unfocused and redundant. An effective read me file can be created by focusing on a few key areas. More...
May 8, 2003
Warning! Read the manual!
The VST Zip drive comes with an interesting new warning symbol -- "please read the manual." I think we need an international agreement on how to represent this plea. More...
May 4, 2003
A look at Java Help 2.0
WinWriter's peek at JavaHelp 2 is very informative. Too bad the subject isn't more compelling. More...
May 1, 2003
Write minimally
A cogent and compelling argument for the practice of minimalism in documentation. It won't take but a few minutes to read it, and it could change your career. More...
May 1, 2003
Generational Help
As more generations become familiar with computers will their dependance on documentation decrease? The basics of everyday modern life aren't learned in a manual, so why is computer knowledge passed that way? More...
May 1, 2003
Death to digital ink
A Cyberpublishing Manifesto by Hal Berghel nails the problem with electronic publishing -- it's a reincarnation of Gutenberg's press. More...
April 29, 2003
Writing for onscreen reading
Snippets from a Jakob Nielsen interview provide further motivation for avoiding the pitfall of writing books for onscreen use. More...
April 20, 2003
When is dumbed down too dumb?
First in series of real-world "too dumbed down" documentation. We begin with hand-washing instructions posted at Starbucks. More...
April 12, 2003
The processed Help book
An article on pushing the digital boundaries of eBooks provides ample juice for forward-thinking Help authors. More...
April 12, 2003
Embedded Help, it's not just for software
A closer look at a probable reason why Sharper Image added embedded Help to their Ionic Breeze air filter product. More...
April 8, 2003
Your mom's guide to iPhoto
Unlike most third-party documentation, a new guide to iPhoto focuses on just a few topics. An interesting example of user-to-user documentation. More...
April 3, 2003
Dilbert on marketing and Help
Walking the tightrope between marketing, help, and legal neutrality is a daily journey in some companies. More...
April 3, 2003
More Helpblog ruminating
Additional thoughts and cross-references on a blog-like approach to Help. Rather than immutable documentation, we'd completely change the dynamic by allowing readers to interact with the author and each other. More...
March 29, 2003
Automobile Manualsaurus
Next time you're at a new car showroom, ask to see a car's documentation set. Enjoy the look of surprise and puzzlement on the face of the salesperson, then cast your eyes on what might be the last a big, thick printed book for a consumer product. More...
March 28, 2003
A hidden cost in PDF documentation
The siren lure of "let's make a PDF from our book" is strong, but it is not without consequence. Simulating a printed page in an onscreen world results in big files, which can cost money. Just ask the authors of Real World GoLive 6. More...
March 25, 2003
Testing onscreen Help
Help is both code and words. Each aspect requires their own brand of testing and quality assurance. More...
March 23, 2003
The worst manuals of 2003
Think that documentation couldn't possibly get any worse? Think again. More...
March 23, 2003
Documentation challenges from 2001
Nearly two years ago PC World's Stephen Banes identified serious problems with documentation. They're still here. More...
March 21, 2003
What Help does a hotel guest need?
The promise of ubiquitous computing is getting closer, with small special-purpose systems popping up everywhere. One example is LodgeNet, an in-room computer system for hotel guests. More...
March 19, 2003
Environmentally-contextual Help
If Help were more aware of the user's situation, including their location, would documentation change? More...
March 16, 2003
The future of Microsoft Help
If you depend on Microsoft help technology, you'll want to see WinWriter's report on the Help 2.0 cancellation and speculation about what the future holds. More...
March 12, 2003
The inevitable heat death of the print universe
It may be that eBooks gain acceptance because of their unique legal status, not their usefulness. What a shame. More...
March 12, 2003
Cooking up Help
Lots of people hate documentation, but few would declare a distaste for recipes, which are really just another form of instruction. What can we learn from this? More...
March 6, 2003
Obfuscated automobile offspring-constraint procedures
Sometimes it's really important to read the manual, like when the safety of your child is at risk. So why, then, are so many car seats incorrectly installed? More...
March 4, 2003
Exploring embedded Help
If Help is made inseparable from the user experience it might finally stop being mere "documentation." More...
March 2, 2003
Domain de Plume
When you need to use an Internet address in your documentation, use one of the officially reserved domains. You'll sleep better, and so will your company's attorneys. More...
February 27, 2003
Nom de Plume
When you need to use a person's name in your documentation, you can make one up and risk creating legal problems or offending someone, or you can use a random name generator. More...
February 21, 2003
Mini Cooper has some fun with manuals
Mini uses a tongue-in-cheek user manual to promote its Cooper automobile. More...
February 19, 2003
Free software, free documentation
Tired of paying for software, then having to pay for adequate documentation? That's what caused one group to move from Exchange to open source alternatives. More...
February 19, 2003
Writing for a technical audience
If it has been a while since you've written a technical reference manual, Dev Shed offers a primer on how to approach this genre of documentation More...
February 16, 2003
Make 'em smile
Traditional documentation is humorless and lacks humanity, but not for lack of trying. More...
February 14, 2003
Avoiding the endless march
Step by step, what's so hard about writing documentation? It's easy to do a bad job, but it takes work to ensure you're not just marching the user down a trail without purpose. More...
February 14, 2003
The evolution of video games
Is today's onscreen Help and documentation, like video games of the early '80s, stuck in the rut of trying to emulate their paper predecessors? More...
February 10, 2003
More examples of supplemental Help
The help system built into computers provide a publishing platform, and an opportunity for third parties to enhance and extend their sphere of influence. More...
February 6, 2003
Help is self-service
McGovern's observations on poorly-implemented websites apply to onscreen documentation too. A bad help system can be worse than none at all. More...
February 3, 2003
Thanks, South by Southwest Interactive!
Usable Help is a finalist in the South By Soutwest (sxsw) Interactive Website competition. Thanks so much! More...
February 2, 2003
How do I install this thing?
A customer who downloads a file and doesn't know what to do with it is quickly frustrated. One way to help the situation is to provide installation instructions that are "in your face." More...
January 31, 2003
Using blogs for Help
Allowing users to annotate Help for others would be a brave move and there are lots of questions to solve. But perhaps we could allow anonymous ratings that provide better cues to the value of the content. More...
January 31, 2003
Writing for the digital generation
When was the last time you saw a television or telephone manual that was written for a "beginning" user? More...
January 30, 2003
Social cues in Help navigation
In the real world, we use social cues to navigate. Can these be used in Help? More...
January 27, 2003
Help Apple write Mac Help
Want to help Apple make Mac Help better? A new job opening for an Instructional Designer is the opportunity you've been waiting for. More...
January 27, 2003
Boys and their toys
Technical writers love to fiddle with fonts, debate tools, and find new, complicated methods to produce their work. Industry conferences are full of tools-based sessions and its a shame that hardly anyone talks about content. More...
January 26, 2003
You've read their books, now see the movie
Scraping the bottom of the barrel for topics, a new film about the life of a tech writer who discovers his hidden self. More...
January 24, 2003
Help slaying monsters
A "The 5th Wave" comic about Unicenter Help. But I don't really get the joke, sorry. More...
January 19, 2003
Help for HTML authors
If you author HTML, you'll like these references from the Web Design Group. Another example of using help authoring tools to deliver stand-alone reference books. More...
January 19, 2003
An Apple Help primer
An older article at MacTech magazine provides a useful overview of some of the unique features of Apple Help. More...
January 16, 2003
Providing documentation is not enough
Innovative products require innovations in training and documentations, says Technology Review writer Michael Schrage. More...
January 13, 2003
DHTML in Office XP Help
Office XP Help uses DHTML for inline expansion of topics and glossary entries. A nice touch. More...
January 12, 2003
Printed manuals to return in 2003?
Is omitting a printed manual penny-wise but pound foolish? Maybe, but we're talking a lot of pounds. More...
January 5, 2003
The worst manuals of 2002
The people at Technical Standards must have a great time judging the entries in this competition. The winners and runners-up are all fascinating in a train-wreck sort of way. More...
December 31, 2002
Links galore at Helpware
As the year draws to a close, check out the handy list of MS Help links provided by Helpware.net More...
December 25, 2002
Onscreen help gallery
Every profession learns by studying the work of others. Now Help authors can do the same. Announcing the debut of the Onscreen Help Gallery. More...
December 18, 2002
Using WinHelp for PHP documentation
An ongoing project that converts the standard PHP doc set to the proprietary Windows Help format. Join the fun, if you're so inclined. More...
December 15, 2002
Guidelines for Palm OS Help
Learn how to author Help for Palm OS devices. More...
December 15, 2002
Pickles comic states the obvious
The comic Pickles on insulting documentation. Ha! Ha! (ouch) More...
December 11, 2002
TIP database of instructional theory
Tap into the TIP database to discover the learning and instructional theory behind Help and documentation. More...
December 6, 2002
Using Internet-based content in Windows Help
With just a little effort, Windows Help authors can begin to explore how to mix local and network-based help content. More...
December 3, 2002
Where's the Office manual?
Microsoft Office X comes with a PDF Getting Started manual, but customers can't find it. Or, so says a tech bulletin at Microsoft. More...
December 2, 2002
Applying the five W's to Help
Asking "who, what, why, when, and where" can completely change the way you write onscreen Help. More...
November 27, 2002
Using the Show Help toolbar button
A new game called iConquer includes a nice help system, including what might be the first implementation of the "Show Help" toolbar item in Mac OS X. More...
November 23, 2002
A user's guide for school lunches
Product manuals that move beyond the obvious and tell you how to integrate the product into your life are very rare, and it is a treat to discover one. More...
November 23, 2002
The Cranky User on unusable onscreen documents
A case study in why providing documents in standard formats results in a better user experience. More...
November 20, 2002
MS Help Center exploit
Integrated Help can be wonderful, but with great power comes great responsibility. More...
November 15, 2002
Microsoft Style Guide available online
If you have a Windows computer, the Oct 2002 Microsoft Style Guide is probably handy. Too bad they won't share it with the rest of the industry. More...
November 10, 2002
Make a pillow out of your manual
An advert from Pentax suggests a new way to make documentation useful. More...
November 10, 2002
Improving the readability of PDF documents
Few PDF files are designed for onscreen use, learn how to do better with an article series at CreativePro. More...
November 8, 2002
The rise of the FAQ
A pre-authored frequently asked question list is a silly thing. If you are able to anticipate questions, build them into the documentation and product. More...
November 3, 2002
An eBook usability triangle
Successful onscreen publishing, whether in Help or eBook format, requires attention to appearance, behavior, and identity. More...
November 3, 2002
Help for REALbasic applications
A tool called AppBundler lets REALbasic authors provide Apple Help with their applications. Wonderful! More...
October 25, 2002
The lowest-common denominator problem
The more people involved with a documentation project, the harder it is to serve the intended audience. More...
October 21, 2002
A look at the Sidekick's help system
Providing Help for a powerful portable device is a challenge, how does Danger tackle it for the T-Mobile Sidekick? More...
October 17, 2002
If the content isn't good, don't bother
Automation and tools are all the rage, but you can't automate the creation of quality content. More...
October 17, 2002
iRock, but how?
Setting up the iRock is easy, but getting good performance is another matter. The documentation omits both, unfortunately. More...
October 16, 2002
PHP documentation and user feedback
The PHP community provides documentation feedback that gets officially incorporated, what a wonderful thing! More...
October 16, 2002
Cross-platform, but universally slow
A TidBITS Talk message touches on a problem with browser-based help. More...
October 15, 2002
The LindowsOS onscreen overview
When it comes to onscreen overviews, simple is usually best. More...
October 15, 2002
Balancing usability with reality
Making onscreen information usable is hard. But is omitting it completely a better solution? More...
October 10, 2002
Slides from Mac OS X Con session
Download the presentation Providing User Assistance with Apple Help in PDF or PowerPoint format. More...
October 10, 2002
O'Reilly Mac OS X Con follow-up
The Apple Help session at the OS X Con went well, especially with an audience that's ready to embrace the future. More...
October 3, 2002
Does third-party help count?
If a product is well-documented, does it really matter if the information is coming from official or third-party channels? More...
September 25, 2002
Settling for browser-based help
A WinWriter's survey hints at what is important in Web browser-based help. What passes for features is really just the basics. More...
September 22, 2002
Omit unnecessary help
You can actually improve your help system by omitting some types of information. Shocking, but true. More...
September 18, 2002
Designing for information shoppers
A paper by Whitney Quesenbery outlines five of the information models you can use to help users with different goals find information. More...
September 14, 2002
Better "read me" files with TextEdit
On Mac OS X, you can lock TextEdit documents to prevent accidental changes to your read me file. More...
September 12, 2002
Content is king, even on the Web
Gerry McGovern has a unique perspective on Web design -- content matters. This is indeed where Help and Web design intersect. More...
September 8, 2002
Style guides lend experience
The GNOME and Apple style guides are two free resources for use in creating your documentation. More...
September 3, 2002
Product complexity prevents simple instructions?
Poorly organized and complex documentation just reinforces how hard a product is to use -- a disservice to everyone. More...
September 1, 2002
Adobe's Elemental Help
CreativePro's look at Adobe Photoshop Elements provides a useful peek at an integrated approach to Help. More...
August 28, 2002
E-books - the problem is "books" not "e"
Expecting book conventions to work well when words are emphemerally painted onto a single pane of glass is just plain silly. Or lazy. More...
August 27, 2002
Reviewing onscreen help
Getting useful feedback on Help is difficult, as evidenced by David Pogue's NYT review of Mac OS X Jaguar. More...
August 25, 2002
Designing for attitudes
A study from Los Alamos Lab discusses why the notion of Novice vs Expert users isn't the right way to think about documentation. More...
August 18, 2002
TiVo's got a trick for you
A look at why TiVo's "tips and tricks" featurette works well. More...
August 15, 2002
Gems from a WinWriters usability study
Unlike many web usability studies, this one identifies that usability is closely intertwined with the content, not just the implementation. More...
August 10, 2002
Cultural differences in documentation
We've all read stories about advertisements, movies, and slogans that go awry when translated into other languages. Well, the same pitfalls apply to product documentation. More...
August 8, 2002
Apple Help at O'Reilly Mac OS X Conference
I'm presenting the session, along with Jessica Kahn (the lead engineer for Apple Help), and we'll be focusing on the new help features in "Jaguar." More...
August 6, 2002
Would you pay for a third-party PDF manual?
A discussion at Mac Net Journal around the concept of paying a small amount for "full documentation for an application whose developer's don't currently offer a manual." More...
August 6, 2002
Better fonts for Apple Help
Noted hypertext expert Mark Bernstein observes that the inclusion of high-quality typefaces in Mac OS X has opened a new door for website designers. This applies to help, too. More...
August 6, 2002
Kelby's Notes offers plug-in Help
Scott Kelby, a well-published Photoshop guru, has released an interesting new help application. Implemented as a Photoshop plug-in, it adds a "How Do I" menu to the application. More...
August 5, 2002
Why we don't read manuals
This excellent article by Caroline E. Mayer (Washington Post) nails this important question. There are several thoughtful, and painful to read, quotes in the article. More...
August 3, 2002
Designing Apple Help
The Help Viewer in the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.2 ("Jaguar") has been completely re-engineered. But it is descended from the Help Viewer introduced in 1998, with Mac OS 8.5. More...
August 3, 2002
A look at the EyeTV Setup Assistant
Although not often thought of, Assistants (or Wizards, as they are known in MS Windows) are very much a part of the onscreen help system. More...
July 28, 2002
When is Help usable?
Is your help system usable? An article from Donna Timpone covers many of the basics and gives a good overview of specific things to look for. More...
July 23, 2002
When do you use the help?
Anyone who creates help systems or manuals for a living must come to grips with the canard that "nobody reads the documentation." More...
July 13, 2002
A Manifesto
I'm not one to mince words. While others might pine for lengthy printed manuals, I come to bury them. More...
July 11, 2002