Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Presentation to UA Europe Conference 2012. Focuses on how to go about getting real end user feedback. The presentation outlines the methods of gathering feedback (including Adobe RoboHelp Server) as well as how to analyse the results. A particular focus is on how the analytics gathered can be used not only to improve the documentation, but the product usability and user interface.
Citation preview
Enabling Science
Help! I Need FeedbackWhere Do I Start?
UA Europe Conference, Dublin14th - 15th June 2012
Colum McAndrew (MISTC)Senior Technical Writer
Enabling ScienceSlide 2 © IDBS 2012
Feedback according to Dilbert!
Enabling ScienceSlide 3 © IDBS 2012
Yah! we’ve delivered.
Enabling ScienceSlide 4 © IDBS 2012
What? You want more?
Enabling ScienceSlide 5 © IDBS 2012
Is your documentation...
Useful
Understandable
Being used
Enabling ScienceSlide 6 © IDBS 2012
What are your users...
Looking for Not finding
Enabling ScienceSlide 7 © IDBS 2012
Why is this important?
Enabling ScienceSlide 8 © IDBS 2012
Getting feedback. Any feedback!
Enabling ScienceSlide 9 © IDBS 2012
Method 1: Form / Email Link
Advantages
Easy to implement
Instantly available
Disadvantages
Rarely used
Negative focus
Enabling ScienceSlide 10 © IDBS 2012
Method 2: Hit counter
Advantages
Easy to implement
Management like it
Disadvantages
Can’t be used for non-web based output
Judges the documentation popularity not quality
Enabling ScienceSlide 11 © IDBS 2012
Method 3: Ranking
Advantages
Easy to complete
Friendly
Disadvantages
Highly subjective
Misleading vision of documentation quality
Enabling ScienceSlide 12 © IDBS 2012
Method 4: Customer Contact
Advantages
Direct customer contact
Follow up questions
Disadvantages
Time consuming
Expensive
Enabling ScienceSlide 13 © IDBS 2012
Business Analysts
Method 5: Inter Department communication
Advantages
Information easily available
Follow up questions
Disadvantages
Everyone’s busy
Office politics
Help Desk Sales
Consultants
Engineers
Customer Support
Trainers
Product Managers
Account Managers
Marketing
Quality Assurance
Testing
Enabling ScienceSlide 14 © IDBS 2012
Method 6: Google Analytics
Advantages
Real time analytics
Array of captured data
Disadvantages
Requires proprietary code
Need to go looking for data
Enabling ScienceSlide 15 © IDBS 2012
Method 7: Adobe RoboHelp Server
Advantages
Designed for Technical Communicators
Easy to implement and use
Disadvantages
Expense
Requires user internet access
Enabling ScienceSlide 16 © IDBS 2012
Adobe RoboHelp Server Requirements
Enabling ScienceSlide 17 © IDBS 2012
Adobe RoboHelp Reports
Frequently searched terms: Lists the most frequently entered search terms.
Frequently viewed topics: Lists the most frequently viewed topics.
Search terms with no results: Lists the search terms entered by end users that returned no results.
Search trends: Displays a graphical representation of the number of searches performed by the end users.
Usage statistics: Displays the usage statistics of the help system over a given period.
Frequently accessed CSH: Similar to the Frequently Viewed Topics report, but focusing on context sensitive help topics.
Help system errors: Lists any errors found (e.g. missing map ids, invalid or missing window definitions).
Enabling ScienceSlide 18 © IDBS 2012
Case Study 1: Frequently Asked Questions
Enabling ScienceSlide 19 © IDBS 2012
Case Study 2: User Interface & Usability
Enabling ScienceSlide 20 © IDBS 2012
Case Study 2: User Interface & Usability
Enabling ScienceSlide 21 © IDBS 2012
What about contingency?
Delivery of two separate help systems.
WebHelp Pro – Installed on internal IDBS server.
WebHelp – Installed on client’s application server used to install products.
Application initially calls WebHelp Pro. Falls back to WebHelp if unavailable.
X
Enabling ScienceSlide 22 © IDBS 2012
More on Adobe RoboHelp Server
Adobe RoboHelp Server 9 Getting Started Guide
Adobe RoboHelp Server 9 Reviewers Guide
Various websites / blogs:
◦ www.robocolumn.com
◦ www.showmethedemo.com
◦ http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelpserver.html
◦ http://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/
Enabling ScienceSlide 23 © IDBS 2012
Common mistake No.1
Now that we’re collecting statistics, we
can relax.
Enabling ScienceSlide 24 © IDBS 2012
Common mistake No.2
Some of our documentation receives less hits, so it is of less
use.
Enabling ScienceSlide 25 © IDBS 2012
Contact The RoboColum(n)
@robocolumn
www.robocolumn.com
Colum McAndrew
