Designing and delivering usable information to the user is an important part of technical communication and writing. You have to analyze the document’s audience, determine the document’s purpose, create a task analysis for the document, consider other related usability factors, develop an information plan for the document, and finally, write, test, and revise the document for usability.
Usability testing is important in more ways than one. Not only will usability make it harder for your audience to understand if it is not up to par, but it may drive the audience away from the point you are trying to get across. Usability in the business world is held to an even higher standard. If the product being sold (or the web page selling/advertising the product) isn’t user friendly, the business will ultimately lose their customer base and lose sales.
The content of the document cannot have any inaccuracies. You have to know your audience that the document is aimed at in order to make sure that the level of technicality involved isn’t over their heads. The document must stay organized otherwise it will be difficult to follow. If there are sections of the document that are out of order it won’t be easy for the audience to find or complete the task they need. The style of the document must be written with enough variety to keep the users’ attention but not too much to become too wordy or complex for the user. Layouts and visuals help convey the point you are trying to make but if you aren’t careful they could make the document worse or confusing for the reader. If there are any excessively long paragraphs, lists or steps, a visual aid can often take its place.
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