from a technical writer to a usability engineer
DESCRIPTION
a comparison of jobs of a technical writer and a usability engineer with a roadmap to transition.TRANSCRIPT
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
From a Technical Writer to a Usability Engineer
Presented by / Bogo Vatovec
Change Management / Knowledge Engineering / User Experience /Interaction Design / Process Engineering
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
2 of 30
Why do you want to do it?
» Because you are frustrated?» Nobody listens to you?» Nobody takes you seriously?» You only get the dirty editing work from the
engineers?
WRONG.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
3 of 30
Why do you want to do it?
» Because you see a natural progression.» Because you are deeply interested in Human
Computer Interaction.» Because you are passionate about your job and
you are willing to spend lots of time learning.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
4 of 30
What are you doing now?
» You are an advocate of the users » Analyze your audience» Analyze user goals and tasks» Develop a task oriented manual» Develop designs of manuals, online help, Web
sites.» You are suggesting improvements to the user
interface
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
5 of 30
Why is a move common?
» Similar goals and knowledge profiles» Similar believes and thinking» Good documentation adds to usability» Documentation is part of the product» Bad product is difficult to document» Text is an inseparable part of the interface
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
6 of 30
Areas of work
Usability» User research & feedback» UI design and
development» Usability evaluation» Usability engineering» Performance optimization» Web design and
development
Technical writing» Instructional design» Printed documentation» Online documentation» Web design and writing» Editing
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
7 of 30
Skills
Usability» Cognitive sciences» Interaction design» Visual design» Interviewing, observations,
analysis
Technical writing» Instructional design» Interviewing» Writing and editing» Information design» Presentation media
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
8 of 30
Backgrounds
Usability» Specialized programs» Psychology» Computer science» Anthropology
Technical writing» Specialized programs» Languages» Computer science» Variety of social studies
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
9 of 30
Similarities and Differences
Usability» Understanding the users» Focus on interaction design» Make things easy to use» Design the product and the
interface
Technical writing» Understanding the users» Focus on instructional
design» Explain how to do» Support the use of the
product
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
10 of 30
Tasks of a usability engineer
» User goals/tasks analysis and profiling» Competition analysis» Product design and interface design» Prototyping and evaluations» Acceptance testing and evaluations» Post release evaluations» Consulting and training» Consultancy
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
11 of 30
Example profiles in usability
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
12 of 30
Profile:User researcher
» Typical background in psychology or cognitive sciences, communications.
» Conducts observations, focus groups and surveys. Defines general user profiles, goals, needs and expectations.
» Skills: research methods, reporting, presentation.
Focuses on behavioral and general information about the users.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
13 of 30
Profile: Information architect
Focuses on information design and structuring.
» Typical background in technical communications, journalism.
» Defines content flow and structure.» Skills: information analysis and chunking, mental
models, interaction design.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
14 of 30
Profile: Interface designer
Focuses on the interaction design and the interface.
» Typical background in HCI, cognitive psychology, computer sciences.
» Defines interface interaction styles, elements, layouts.
» Skills: interaction elements, mental models, platform specific guidelines.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
15 of 30
Profile: Usability evaluator
Focuses on evaluations of prototypes and interfaces.» Typical background: cognitive psychology.» Performes usability evaluations of the products,
write reports and recommends improvements.» Skills: evaluating methods, report writing,
presentations.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
16 of 30
Profile: Visual designer
Focuses on graphic design and icons.
» Typical background: visual art, media and communications.
» Design visual elements, icons and layouts.» Skills: graphic design, colors, human perception.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
17 of 30
Skills to learn
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
18 of 30
Skills to learn (1)
» Ergonomics and human behavior» Cognitive sciences, human mental models» User centered design process and general
software development process» Interaction theories, principles, guidelines» Contextual analysis skills, usability evaluations,
surveys, assessments» Software tools
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
19 of 30
Skills to learn (2)
» Direct and indirect manipulation methods» Menu selections, form filling, dialog boxes» Interaction devices» Presentation styles» Integration of UI, online help, manuals» Various guidelines: Windows, Motif, OS/2,
Macintosh, Web
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
20 of 30
What do you need to know about technology
» More than a technical writer, but less than a programmer.
» Understand the concepts behind each technology» Understand the behavior as related to the user
interaction» Understand the context of use – advantages and
limitations
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
21 of 30
Steps in the Transition
» Get yourself a mentor» Decide which usability area suits you the most» Learn the necessary skills» Try to apply skills in practice» Prepare a new resume» Go out and look for a new job
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
22 of 30
Examples of tasks and process
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
23 of 30
Learning about your users
» Direct and indirect observations of users at workplace, home.
» Broad surveys with questionnaires.» Working focus groups with users and other
stakeholders.» Brainstorming with users and developers about
user needs, design, functionality.
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
24 of 30
Analyzing and structuring the results
» Create user profiles/personas» Write scenarios of use» Create user/tasks matrix» Identify objects and actions from scenarios» Define behavior and attributes of the objects
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
25 of 30
Specifying the interface
» Write detailed use cases/user tasks instructions» Prepare interaction diagrams» Create first prototypes» Test prototypes with the users » Iteratively improve the prototypes
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
26 of 30
Usability evaluations
» Heuristic evaluation» Cognitive and pluralistic walkthroughs» Formal usability testing» Reports writing and recommendations
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
27 of 30
Consultancy work
» User research and behavior studies» External usability evaluations» Interface design» Training and courses on usability» Process and development consultancy
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
28 of 30
Recommended Links
www.upassoc.org Usability Professionals' Association web site.
www.hcibib.org Bibliography of human-computer interaction publications and resources.
www.usabilityfirst.com Interesting site that collects information about usability and discusses the
latest trends in the field.
www.best.com/~jthom/usability
A great site that explains multiple usability methods.
www.useit.com Jakob Nielsen's web site.
www.hcibb.org Good list of books about usability and design with descriptions.
www.ibm.com/ibm/hci IBM's Human Factors web page.
www.usableweb.com Keith Intone’s collection of topics on usability
www.hcirn.com HCI Resources Network
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
29 of 30
Recommended Books and Articles
Randolph G. Bias and Deborah J. Mayhew (Eds.) Cost-Justifying Usability. Boston: Academic Press,
1994. ISBN 0-12-095810-4.
Joseph S. Dumas and Janice C. Redish. A Practical Guide to Usability Testing. Norwood, NJ: Ablex
Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-89391-991-8.
JoAnn T. Hackos and Janice C. Redish. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design. New York: Wiley,
1998. ISBN 0-471-17831-4.
Robert R. Johnson. User-Centered Technology: A Rhetorical Theory for Computers and Other Mundane
Artifacts. New York: State University of New York Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7914-3932-1 (paperback).
Donald A. Norman. The Psychology of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 1988. ISBN 0-465-
06709-3. Also published as The Design of Everyday Things, 1990, Doubleday ISBN 0-385-26774-6
(paperback).
Jeffrey Rubin. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests. New
York: Wiley, 1994. ISBN 0-471-59403-2.
Barbara Mirel. Product, Process and Profit: The Politics of Usability in a Software Venture. ACM Journal
of Computer Documentation, Volume 24, Number 4, (November 2000)
Ben Schneiderman. Designing the User Interface. Addison Wesley, (1998).
Bogo Vatovec Consulting
Thanks!
Bogo Vatovec ConsultingOffice
Gabriel-Max-Str. 20 / 10245 BerlinT +49 30 20078666 / F +49 30 20078661 / M +49 174 1730406 [email protected] / www.bovacon.com
© Bogo Vatovec Consultig