Future of documentation

The Future of Documentation
Changing 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

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

Information Process Maturity Model
From http://www.infomanagementcenter.com/pdfs/Hackos_IPMM_04_update.pdf

Content Presentation Maturity Model

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 customer
expectation

Trend
SOCIAL

Social

“Don’t document it – just fix it.”
Orange Peel Media

The outsourced knowledge base

Minimalist documentation for ...
Twitter

Crowdsourcing of knowledge

Formal documentation for …
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 service

Trend
CONTENT STRATEGY

Strategic content is everyone’s issue
“Nothing can deter confidence quicker than a broken experience.”
- Christopher Cashdollar, Creative Director, Happy Cog Studios
In a hyper-networked , social world, broken experiences can damage brands faster than ever.
- Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist, Intentional Design

Strategic content leverages business drivers
Product differentiation
Customer price sensitivity
Cost impact
Customer profitability
Capital intensity
ROI: Market attractiveness
Number of customers
Number of suppliers
Switchability
Level of service
Current profitability
Spare industry capacity
Entry barriers
Relative perceived value
Relative service
Product performance
IRR: Competitive advantage
Relative market share
Relative costs
Overhead
Variable cost

Content Lifecycle

The rightful role of content
UX is the treasure hunt.
Content is the prize.
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

Connecting
http://www.google.com/profiles/rahel.bailie
THANK YOU
Photographs used under Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/

Future of documentation

by Rahel Anne Bailie

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Future of documentation Presentation Transcript