Help, Support & Training Systems Evaluation

Issue addressed “Are our user-assistance mechanisms doing their job?”

Your challenge: Deliver helpful Help

Most likely, you already have technical documentation professionals developing your product's user-support systems.

It is also likely that the effectiveness of all of these various systems have not been developed or assessed using rigorous user-centered design methods. Shortcomings in user-support systems (documentation, on-line help, tutorials, etc) can compromise a product's effectiveness just as severely as the user interface of the product itself.

My solution for your project

My evaluation employs the most effective usability- and scientific-research methodologies for assessing the effectiveness of your product's user-support systems, including any or all of the following:

• Product installation instructions
• Online help systems, including user-interface and task-help
  
• Online and printed tutorials
  
• Online product demos
  
• Printed or printable documentation
  
• Embedded assistance agents
  
• Online FAQs and Glossaries
  
• Online Task wizards
  
• Video training programs

Evaluations cover the effectiveness of the content and the interactive delivery of user-support systems, usually on the basis of key usage scenarios. I also provide detailed recommendations for improvement.

The advantages in getting these parts of your product right are clear:

• End-users become productive more quickly, without additional training or reliance on costly informal or formal support channels.
  
• Employees can also become more efficient in their job by learning to exploit the more advanced productivity features of the software.
  
• Of course, the more usable the product, the less the product should need to rely on these training and support mechanisms in the first place.

Nonetheless, in the foreseeable future, it is reasonable to expect that most powerful and flexible software applications will require some degree of assisted learning to be utilized quickly and effectively.

Last update: May 07, 2002
(c) 2002 Don Hameluck Usability Consulting Inc.

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