User Experience Design for Working Web Sites and Applications

摘要

As Technical Communicators, we're often added as members of software and web site development teams merely as an afterthought. Executives, managers, programmers, and other team members frequently view the results of our work―manuals, online help systems, tutorials, and other documents―as "nice-to-have " additions to products. This pervasive attitude is certainly not healthy for the profession of technical communication... But it's not good for the applications our organizations and clients produce either. When Technical Communicators working in an e-business unit as user advocates are given more responsibility and more authority over the "user experience" of a web-based application, for instance, they affect the bottomline. They increase hits, product buzz, and completed transactions. By moving beyond manuals, beyond help, and into the new role of User Experience Designer, we increase the value we add to services and products and increase our professional status within organizations. If you've ever wondered if there's a better way to work with a development team than just editing their technical specification―you may be a candidate for following a detailed methodology for implementing a User Experience Design process.