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Research Analyst, Information Design, Nokia Networks
Wouldn't it be nice if products were so usable that we didn't
need documentation? "What?" I hear you crying. "What would I do then for work?"
You could start designing user interfaces based on how the user interacts with
the product (Human-Computer Interaction, HCI). You wouldn't need to know how to
write code to implement the interfaces, just like you don't need to know how to
write good English to design good documentation structure. But you may need to
learn new skills like visual design and usability evaluation methodology if you
haven't already.
Before we decide we don't need any documentation, though, we need
to define what documentation is. Are the field names and menu items documentation?
What about wizards or embedded user assistance? If those pieces are considered
documentation and thus the domain of a technical writer, then your job is safe.
However, some companies could consider those pieces the domain of the software
designer and the programmer. Then you either need to reposition yourself into that
domain or find some other work.
But how likely is it that documentation, in the sense of
information separate from the user interface, is not needed? Will the products be
free of all usability problems and bugs so that troubleshooting information is
not needed? Will the hardware products be disposable so that maintenance and
repair instructions are not needed?
(There are plans for a
mobile phone made out of paper.)
I guess the future doesn't look so perfect, at least during the
next ten years, that we will actually not need documentation. However, if we
design more usable products, we could drastically reduce the amount of
documentation related to the use of the product. I think that technical
communicators could really help design more usable products because we are used
to thinking from the user's point of view and gathering and analysing information
based on that view. We are also used to eliciting information from different
kinds of persons. We could use those skills to gather information about our users,
arrange and document usability evaluations, and structure the information to
produce a usable product design.
I haven't yet seen a paperless office; although, I first heard
the phrase mentioned in the mid 1980s, and I don't expect to see documentless
products (except very simple ones) for a while. However, if you want to keep your
skill sets up-to-date, don't forget to include usability and HCI studies into your
curriculum.
This article is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily
reflect the opinion or practice of Nokia Networks.
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