Dont be a technical writer be an interface designer
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1. A good technical writer is a good interface designer. 2. The interface design skills of a technical writer can be put to use in other interface design capacities: a) to help design the product; b) to move to another line of interface design work.
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Dont be a technical writer be an interface designer
- 1. Don't Be a Technical Writer, Be an Interface Designer
- 2. 1. Write Like You're Designing an Interface 2. Design Interfaces 04-Dec-2014
- 3. An interface: Something that helps you use something to do something. 04-Dec-2014
- 5. Companies Think People Want To • Learn • Define • Manage • Configure 04-Dec-2014 People Want To • Understand • Act • Forget • "Point and shoot"
- 6. What makes a good interface?
- 7. What makes a good interface? Invisible
- 8. What makes a good interface? Invisible Unsurprising
- 9. What makes a good interface? Invisible Unsurprising Few obvious, useful actions > many complicated actions
- 10. What makes a good interface? Invisible Unsurprising Few obvious, useful actions > many complicated actions Doesn't ask you to learn a language
- 11. What makes a good interface? Invisible Unsurprising Few obvious, useful actions > many complicated actions Doesn't ask you to learn a language Exposes tasks, not tools
- 12. What makes a good interface? Invisible Unsurprising Few obvious, useful actions > many complicated actions Doesn't ask you to learn a language Exposes tasks, not tools Worth it
- 14. Who designs interfaces? • Product Manager (Physical, UI, API, …) • Technical Writer • Also UX Designer, Product Designer, etc. 04-Dec-2014
- 15. Who designs interfaces? • Product managers (and developers) design tools, not tasks • The "K Key" story.
- 16. R&D TW
- 17. You should do it • Provide more value to your company • Be more integrated with development • Make your company better • Open up new, interesting career paths with your skills
- 18. 1. They think about tasks 2. They think about structure and presentation 3. They think about ambiguity 4. They think about consistency 04-Dec-2014 Why is a good TW a good interface designer?
- 19. • What does the customer want to do? • What does the customer need to do it? • What will the customer do next? 04-Dec-2014 1. They think about tasks Create a Mountain Profile: MMID: Please enter a Mountain Profile Handle:
- 20. • Fewer words • Relevant concepts • No abbreviations 04-Dec-2014 2. They think about structure and presentation
- 21. • Context where appropriate • No passive voice x may be created DogBarks() Paragraph_Capital() 04-Dec-2014 3. They think about ambiguity
- 22. • Spelling • Case • Terminology • Structure 04-Dec-2014 4. They think about consistency Documentation Enter a name Type an ID Add a username UI/API dog(bark,name) cat(name,sound) tree(bark)
- 23. Buff up your skills: • Your product’s features, from end to end • Languages • Trade journals / websites • User forums
- 24. 1. Write Like You're Designing an Interface 2. Design Interfaces 04-Dec-2014
Editor's Notes
- Airplane joke