future of documentation

The Future of DocumentationChanging how we do business, how we relate to management and customers, and how we change our work practices

© Intentional Design Inc.www.intentionaldesign.ca

Presented to STC Wisconsin April 2011

My background

Business

TechComm

IA/Usability

Content Mgmt

Content Strategy

Look into the future

…I have found that the only thing one can be sure of is changing oneself.

— Aldous Huxley

Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant.

— Anthony J. D’Angelo

•

Ad-hoc Rudimentary Organized, Repeatable

Managed, Sustainable Optimizing

From http://www.infomanagementcenter.com/pdfs/Hackos_IPMM_04_update.pdf

Info

rmati

on P

roce

ss M

atur

ity M

odel

Docs in silos

ManualsBrochures

Modular content

Help filesPlanned re-use

Managed content

Designed re-useStrategy

Social content

Across silosAcross apps

Integrated content

IntegrativeConvergentShareable

Cont

ent P

rese

ntati

on M

atur

ity M

odel

Trend STRUCTURE

Cross-silo re-use

Content as extension of UX

h30413.www3.hp.com/SupportServices/country/us/en/support/T1100.html.htm

Real Value of Content

STRATEGY vs LOGISTICS

Strengthen brand

Extend market reach

Decrease time to market

Increase customer satisfaction

Cross-silo content

Enable re-use

Allow for mash-ups

Increase accuracy

Increase efficiencies

Trend INTEROPERABILITY

Portable content

Creating value

Portable content

INTEGRATE, CONVERGE, SYNDICATE

Standards

Structure

Content models

Use cases

Delivery channels

Content management

Trend MULTIPLE DELIVERY CHANNELS

MOBILE, IPAD, EREADERS AND …

Cross-silo content

Enable re-use

Allow for mash-ups

Increase accuracy

Increase efficiencies

Standards

Structure

Content models

Use cases

Delivery channels

Content management

Deliver as per customerexpectation

Trend SOCIAL

Social

Orange Peel Media

“Don

’t do

cum

ent i

t – ju

st fi

x it.

”

The outsourced knowledge base

Minim

alist documentation for ...

Twitter

Crowdsourcing of know

ledge

OLD-SCHOOL DOCUMENTATION:– System is complex– First-to-market features

• No transferable concepts

– Regulated industries– Embedded assistance– Training– Wayfinding content

• Guiding user to add-ons and supplies• Enriching the experience of using a product or serviceForm

al d

ocum

enta

tion

for …

Trend CONTENT STRATEGY

Strategic content is everyone’s issue

In a hyper-networked , social world, broken experiences can damage brands faster than ever.

- Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist, Intentional Design

“Nothing can deter confidence quicker than a broken experience.”

- Christopher Cashdollar, Creative Director, Happy Cog Studios

Strategic content leverages business drivers

Product differentiation

Cost impact

Customer profitability

Number of customers

Number of suppliers

Switchability

Spare industry capacity

Entry barriers

Relative service

Product performance

Relative market share

Overhead

Variable cost

Customer price sensitivity

Capital intensity

Level of service

Relative perceived value

Relative costs

ROI: Market attractiveness

IRR: Competitive advantage

Current profitability

Content Lifecycle

• Requirements• Personas,

scenarios• Governance• Budget

• Acquire• Author/Edit• Version/Localize• Metadata

• Models• Configure/

components• Structure

/standards• Repository

• Aggregate• Transform• Present• Syndicate• Revise/sunset

Analyze Collect

ManagePublish

The rightful role of content

• Universal user goal– Consume content (text, graphics, video, sound)

for instruction, information, social connection, and/or entertainment

• Universal provider goal– Deliver the content in the best possible way for

consumer consumption

UX is the treasure hunt.Content is the prize.

Connecting

http://www.google.com/profiles/rahel.bailie

Photographs used under Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/

THANK YOU