Some additional thoughts: Contextual Help can be provided using an icon next to the topic, item, section, etc., that leads to further explanation. That explanation can appear inline as an opening in the page, the way Google does; as a pop-up, or it can lead to a specific area within a larger Help system.
Sometimes the Help is based on sections and not fields and it makes sense to have visuals that are annotated on a larger scale. This may lend itself to a larger Help, with a screen shot that is easier for the user to see, rather than a snap of a piece of a field or widget. In these cases, a separate Help site/location might be more suitable. Sometimes a layer is floated over a screen, which become slightly ghosted, with the annotation on top of it. This leads the user through the page/screen, telling them the order to follow and what happens as the fill the fields in. It is useful to make Help printable, exportable as a PDF, and if you can also have the Help exportable in individual pages as well as a manual, that is really useful. You will find that the Help is useful as a selling tools for the application and can form the basis of a presentation, where sections of it can be harvested for such use. There is a free product called HelpNDoc (well I think it's still free) that is really useful and produces an chm file, a PDF, and an HTML version automatically if you need to put something together quickly to see how it flies with users and the business. However, it is just PC-based, so a Mac cannot benefit. Hopefully, some of this is useful to you. Jennifer ======================================== -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jennifer R Vignone Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 9:58 AM To: Diego Fernandez; [email protected] Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] How to design an online help? I have built many of these and an online help is never a waste of time. Regardless of how much you think it will or will not be used, I have yet to encounter an incident where having it didn't make a good impression on users, as well as to the business who funded the work. They may not know how to use the application or service they paid for, and therefore appreciate the notion that they are empowered by having the help available. The need to organize an online help also gets the flow in order for presenting to users and to each other, and frequently gaffs in the design, despite how thorough the usability may or may not have been, may be uncovered during its preparation. Good communication is paramount, however, if your users are scattered far and wide, across the world, across one country, or simply across a building where getting to everyone via a phone help or physical visit isn't always possible depending on availability. And did I mention how useful the online help is to the support team who will assist users? My question now is what sort of documentation was created and sued to produce the application? Let's start with that. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Diego Fernandez Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:44 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [IxDA Discuss] How to design an online help? Hi list! (this is my first post.. sorry if my English is not so good). I've the following problem: I'm working as usability expert for an application related to medical appointments. The application will be used in clinics by operators that interact with patients personally or by the phone. On of the requirements of my client, is to have an online help in the application (with the intention to reduce calls to internal support). I was arguing that this requirement is unnecessary, because I think that users will not read the online help: they will be busy serving customers. My point is that good communication and feedback in the UI will be more effective. Anyway, the client stills wants a help system included in the application, so my question is: How to design a good help system? (I mean not the typical manual page, but something more effective for the context) Any advice or recommended reading? Regards, Diego ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... 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[email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help This email is confidential and subject to important disclaimers and conditions including on offers for the purchase or sale of securities, accuracy and completeness of information, viruses, confidentiality, legal privilege, and legal entity disclaimers, available at http://www.jpmorgan.com/pages/disclosures/email. ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
