How to write less, write better, and improve the message your audience sees

1. Bernard Aschwanden
www.publishingsmarter.com
bernard@publishingsmarter.com
Minimalism
Write Less. Write Better.
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@publishsmarter

2. About this session
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 Basics of minimalism
 Light examples
 Serious ideas

3. About your speaker
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 Publishing Smarter:
President
 Content strategist,
publishing technologies
expert, author, and geek-
enough
 Part time prof
 Seneca College
 TECC program
 Certified Technical Trainer
 DITA
 Content management
 Topic-based writing
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4. Standard disclaimer
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 In the interest of brevity I
will make some blanket
statements to keep it
simple
 It’s not all 100% “the
truth”, but I’ll stay close
 Purists may complain
 And they are wrong!
 (except when they are
right)
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5. The irony is that it takes 150 slides
(well, maybe not THAT many…)
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Core principles of minimalism

6. Ideals of minimalism
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 To the largest extent possible, a product should
document itself and do so
 Explicitly, or
 By being intuitive through good design
 Documentation and product design must fit together
to let a user make the right decision on use, because
we provide:
 the right information
 at the right time
 in the right format
 to the right audience

7. History of minimalism
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 Developed for graphical user interfaces (GUI) and
grew out of a need for great usability
 Documentation borrowed from this
 Not all ideas have 100% transfer
 Minimalism can be applied via standards like DITA
 Similar theory: less is more

8. Core principles of minimalism
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1. Focus on an action-oriented approach
 Tasks are core to what people are doing, so let them do it!
2. Anchor the tool in the task domain
 Ensure you understand the users’ world
3. Support error recognition and recovery
 Recognize the importance of troubleshooting information
4. Support reading to do, study, and locate
 Ensure that users can find the information they need
• Carroll, J. “Minimalism Beyond the Nurnberg Funnel”

9. My suggestion: Factor in today’s audience
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 Today’s audience is
 More engaged  Interactive
 Eager  Easily bored/misled/lost
 Today’s audience engages/interacts
 Not by being interested in what you write, deliver, or say
 Not by talking to you (or your people) very often
 Is engaged and interacts with present and
future audiences, and can impact perception
 What you do now is noticed
 What you did then is found
 What you do in the future depends on both

10. 1. Action oriented approach (let’s explore)
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 Provide an immediate opportunity to act
 Ensure tasks are front and center, and that they start with the first steps,
NOT with a lot of extra content. People want to DO things.
 Encourage and support exploration and innovation
 Don’t feed users every action. If it’s obvious, move on. If the task is
simple and the audience known, don’t include it, or summarize it.
 Respect the integrity of the user’s activities
 Keep the relevant info nearby, but don’t link them to a bunch of random
seeming places; instead support them in completing the task
 In content, prioritize ‘how to’ (tasks) early
 Use other content (concepts and references) to support tasks
 In tools, let people do what they intend to do
 Don’t put up roadblocks and obstacles. Ever. For any reason.

11. I presented in Edmonton, Alberta 1 day…
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12. … text didn’t do what I thought it should…
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 Our site does not officially support your browser. Feel
free to explore with it, but you may not be able to use all
our features.
 You may want to update your browser. Consider using
one of the following:
 Microsoft Internet Explorer (download now)
 Mozilla Firefox (download now)
 If you have questions or encounter problems, please call
our Sales Super Centre at 1-800-538-5696.
 From 114 words to 65 ~40% reduction
 Message is cleaner, easier to understand
 Translation costs decrease
 Message changes to taking away blame

13. …this is what the airline did the NEXT day
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14. Is this respect for the integrity of the user’s action
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15. Good Great minimalist writing and design
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16. “Provide an immediate opportunity to act”
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Tasks are
front and
center!

17. “Encourage/support exploration and innovation”
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No painful
step-by-
step
Access to
relevant info

18. “Respect the integrity of the user’s activities”
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Focused links,
support the
goals

19. Recap: Action oriented approach
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 Provide an immediate opportunity to act
 Ensure tasks are front and center, and that they start with the
first steps, NOT with a lot of extra content. People want to DO
things.
 Encourage and support exploration and innovation
 Don’t feed users every action. If it’s obvious, move on. If the
task is simple and the audience known, don’t include it, or
summarize it.
 Respect the integrity of the user’s activities
 Keep the relevant info nearby, but don’t link them to a bunch of
random seeming places; instead support them in completing
the task

20. 2. Anchor tool in the task domain (let’s explore)
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 Select or design instructional activities that are real
tasks
 If you document something, do so from the perspective of
doing something, not just documenting for the sake of features
 Components of the instruction should reflect the task
structure
 Organize the content so that it follows a natural progression
based on the tasks users actually perform

21. Good and bad of real tasks
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22. 3. Error recognition and recovery (let’s explore)
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 Prevent mistakes whenever possible
 Provide error information when actions are error
prone or when correction is difficult
 Provide error information that supports detection,
diagnosis, and recovery
 Provide on-the-spot error information

23. Dumb error recognition/recovery
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24. Good error recognition/recovery
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25. More good error recognition/recovery
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26. 4. Read to do, study, and locate
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 Be brief, don’t spell out everything
 Users don’t need every bit of information about every bit of
functionality PLUS the entire backstory
 Be consistent
 Write things the same way in files, across publications
 Don’t bury important content
 If it matters THAT much, make it stand out; if it doesn’t matter,
don’t bother writing it
 Provide closure in tasks
 Where needed, let people know it’s done if there isn’t a natural
way to know they are finished

27. Be brief, don’t spell out everything
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 Replace text
 The breather is located on
top of the pump and is
usually capped in black.
 Consider this instead:
 Replace text
 The butterfly valve is
located between the main
tank and the exhaust pipe.
 Consider this instead:
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28. Being brief can include better organization
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 Supported formats include:
 JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group (common on the
web)
 AI: Adobe Illustrator (A vector format for line drawings, but can
be converted to other formats as well)
Extension Type Notes
jpeg Joint Photographic Experts
Group
Common web format
ai Adobe Illustrator Vector format for line
drawings

29. Good: Organize information
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 A comparison of sizes tells you that whales are big:
 The average US male is 5’9” tall
 The average US female is 5’4” tall
 The average Beluga whale is 18’ long
 The average Blue whale is 98’ long
 A table can tell you the same thing
Mammal Length/height
(avg)
Human being 5’7”
Beluga whale 18’
Blue whale 98’

30. Best: Images provide data AND scale
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18’
6’ / 2m
98’
< 6’

31. Be consistent when you write
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 Don’t “mix it up”
 Select File > New
 Choose File > New
 Click File > New
 On the File menu, select/choose/click New
 This will NOT help your users

32. Be consistent when you orient users
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33. Be consistent when you organize
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Learning’s complex enough
 People clutter docs with:
 Screen shots
 Unneeded images
 Useless text
 Readers don’t have time
 They want to just do the job
 Stop telling them everything
you (or the SME) knows
Stop nesting (burying) tasks
1. Select File > Save As
The Save dialog appears.
2. Select a location
3. If required, create a folder
a) Click New Folder
A new folder is created
b) Type a name for the folder
c) Press Enter
4. Choose a file format
 RTF: Rich Text Format
 DOC: Microsoft Word document
 FM: Adobe FrameMaker file
5. Name the file and click Save.

34. Save a file Create a folder
1. Select File > Save As
2. Select a location
3. Choose a file format
4. Name the file
5. Click Save
1. Click New Folder
2. Type a name for the folder
3. Press Enter
Much better would be
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35. Deliver what is relevant. The end.
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No Yes

36. This sample is horrible
Drop the useless, improve
docs
1. Select File > Open
The Open dialog
appears
2. Choose a location
Available files display
3. Select a file
The file is highlighted
4. Click Open
The file opens and
displays onscreen
1. Select File > Open
2. Select location/filetype
3. Click Open
Provide closure when it’s
not totally obvious. ONLY.
1. Press Ctrl+s
The asterisk by the page
number is cleared
 Unsaved
 Saved
Provide closure in tasks
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37. Recap: Read to do, study, and locate
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 Be brief, don’t spell out everything
 Users don’t need every bit of information about every bit of
functionality PLUS the entire backstory
 Be consistent
 Write things the same way in files, across publications
 Don’t bury important content
 If it matters THAT much, make it stand out; if it doesn’t matter,
don’t bother writing it
 Provide closure in tasks
 Where needed, let people know it’s done if there isn’t a natural
way to know they are finished

38. Tips to get you started on minimalism
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Reworking source content

39. Work with images: Text heavy, mixed source
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It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
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40. Remember: Tasks come first
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It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
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41. Repeat for concepts
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It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
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42. And for references
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It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
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43. Consider using highlighters!
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44. Reorganize based on this and you get…
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TASK
You can add images in supported formats to web pages.
To insert images first select where you want in on your web page. Choose Insert in the
Image menu.
Once you know the format you need, select a file location and click Map or Chart if
needed. Click on a file, then Insert.
CONCEPT
It has been said a picture is worth 1000 words. If this is true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas, visualize things, or to add life to dry text.
There are many image formats supported (web formats), and since pictures draw the eye
to a specific location, you may want to add maps or charts.
If maps or charts are used they can visually explain ideas that may take many pages to
write about. They can even make content feel more alive, so if it makes sense, add them
to reports to accentuate an idea that matters.
REFERENCE
We support jpg, gif, png, svg (and we convert Illustrator or Photoshop too!).

45. Once your content is organized by type…
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 Rework that material into good minimalist content
 Add supporting information if and when needed
 Review it for clarity against the source

46. Task: Import pictures
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Images, maps, and charts can be
added to web pages.
Prereq: Ensure graphics are in a
supported web-friendly file format.
1. Select the location to insert an image.
2. Select Image > Insert.
If inserting a Map or Chart, specify
this.
3. Select a folder location.
4. Select a file.
5. Click Insert.
6. Configure the image as needed.

47. Concept: Reasons to use pictures
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It has been said a picture is worth 1000
words; use images to show ideas,
visualize complex ideas, or to add life to
dry text.
Pictures draw the eye to a specific location.
If maps or charts are used they can
graphically explain an idea that may take
many pages to write about. They can even
make content feel more alive, so if it makes
sense, add them to reports to accentuate an
idea that matters.

48. Reference: Supported image formats
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Graphic types, how they are used,
and background information.
Format Function Notes
.jpg Raster based
images
displayed online
(web).
Our conversion tools allow
multiple options, test for
best compatibility.
.gif
.png
.svg Vector based
images
displayed online
(web)
Our conversion tools allow
multiple options, test for
best compatibility.
.ps Adobe
Photoshop
Raster based source.
.ai Adobe Illustrator Vector based source.

49. Summing up the discussion,
and options to continue it.
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Conclusion and contact

50. About this session
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 Basics of minimalism
1. Focus on an action-oriented approach
2. Anchor the tool in the task domain
3. Support error recognition and recovery
4. Support reading to do, study, and locate
 Light examples
 Serious ideas

51. Services
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52. Follow up contact information
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905 833 8448 (Eastern Time)
bernard@publishingsmarter.com
www.linkedin.com/in/bernardaschwanden
@publishsmarter
www.publishingsmarter.com