Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................ 2
What has changed?................................................................................................. 2
Architecting Your Content........................................................................................... 4
Moving to topic based content................................................................................ 4
Classifying topics (Creating a taxonomy)................................................................5
Creating topic sets.................................................................................................. 5
Developing Information for Faceted Browsing............................................................7
Optimizing the Content for Faceted Browsing.........................................................7
DITA...................................................................................................................... 7
Classifying Content................................................................................................ 13
User /Task Analysis................................................................................................... 15
Identifying who your users are and the tasks they perform..................................15
Information Development Process.........................................................................15
Perform Audience Analysis................................................................................. 15
Identify Goals..................................................................................................... 16
Develop scenarios for goals............................................................................... 16
Identify Information for Supporting Goals..........................................................16
Identify and Organize Tasks................................................................................ 16
Organize Tasks................................................................................................... 17
Identify and Organize Supporting Information...................................................18
Specify Links between Topics.............................................................................18
Specify Relationship Links..................................................................................18
Develop Multiple Deliverables............................................................................19
Content Delivery: New and Traditional......................................................................19
1
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
Introduction
What has changed?
Research has shown that shown that the information needs of users of technical
documentation have been changing over the years. Users rarely read a user guide
end to end.
They read less and want to have more to do they typically search for information.
They have access to vast sources of reference information on the internet, therefore
what they look for in our documentation is content that will:
The changing needs of customers are changing the content itself, as well as way in
which it needs to be delivered (on the internet, in various formats (HTML, PDF),
accessed over many devices (PCs, phones, tablets) - Information anytime and
anywhere.
To adapt to the internet era, the technical communicator needs to understand how
to optimize their content to be able to address the needs of advanced delivery
technologies.
2
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
The work of architecting and classifying information goes simply beyond structuring
information in a hierarchical table of contents with good index entries and cross
references. Linear content usually does not give the user a choice on the order of
the information flow. For multimedia content, linear content progresses often
without any navigational control for the viewer
The work of architecting and classifying information goes simply beyond structuring
information in a hierarchical table of contents with good index entries and cross
references. Linear content usually does not give the user a choice on the order of
the information flow. For multimedia content, linear content progresses often without
any navigational control for the viewer.
Information architects have not only to consider the architecture of the content but
also ensure that the content is written appropriately to take advantage of new
technologies such as videos, multimedia, simulated graphics, and mobile docs. As
an information architect you need to define information in a manner that enables
your users find the information they need.
3
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
It involves:
4
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
ensures that important information thats there in one section is not missed
by a reader reading another section.
Enables you to organize content differently for online and print purposes. You
can create task flows and concept hierarchy for online orientation and print
friendly combined hierarchy for users looking for organized reading flow.
Subject is simply a word that describes what the piece of information is about.
A topic addresses a single issue in a single topic, while a topic set addresses a
single, usually larger issue, in an organized group of topics or other topic sets.
5
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
A topic set is used when the goal in question is complex and requires a group of
task to address it.
Topic sets can be created from Topics meeting the following criteria:
2. Identify which of the topic should be the main topic of the topic set. This
topic will be the parent topic and its short description should give a clear
indication of what the topic set is about. Short description is text that briefly
introduces and describes a topic. They appear in popup link text when you
hover over a link to that topic.
3. For each topic set, think specifically about the user goal that the information
supports. Keeping the user goal in mind you might find it helpful to ask
yourself the following questions about topic set and related information:
Does this set of information contain all the content that is required to
complete this goal?
What information is related to this topic set? For example, are there
prerequisite tasks or concepts, supporting examples, or follow-up
tasks? If so, ensure that there are links to this information.
Can this information be restructured so that it is easier to filter or
reuse? For e example, is the set about a mixture of platforms,
products, goals or task types? If so, you might consider ensuring that
6
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
the parent topic applies equally to the entire topic set or to a filtered
subset of a topic.
DITA
By organizing information around goals that users are trying to accomplish, you can
provide task-based information that truly addresses user needs. For example, if a
7
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
user the user is a developer who needs to develop Java application, then all the
information focuses around the tasks the developer must perform to develop the
application.
Darwin: DITA topics correspond to information types that inherit characteristics from
other information types and can be specialized.
Information Typing: In DITA you develop topics based on types of content, such as
concept, task and reference information.
Topic Types
- Concept
- Task
- References
Concept Topics
Concept Topics explain and teach. They help end users build their experience and
knowledge. They are read before using the product or completing a task
A concept Topic
- Introduces a system , solution, process, product, tool , feature, technology, or
characteristic
- Provides background information that users must know before working with a
product or before starting a task
- Describes the benefit of, the relationship between, and the restrictions of, the
product and its features
- Defines terms in more detail than a glossary.
8
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
- For example, heres a look at the Virtual Interfaces concept topic from the
Cisco documentation site:
Title guidelines
- DITA element<title>
- Use a noun or noun phrase, NOT a gerund for a title
Crawlers are programs that search for information on the web, in databases,
or in other data sources. The information that crawlers gather is added to the
search engine index. Crawlers must run regularly to ensure that the search
engine index is up to date.
Content
- User paragraphs for the majority of the information
- Address the questions, why , when where , what, and how
- Consider cause and effect
- Address only one complete idea. Keep the topic short and concise , but
describe the concept completely
9
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
- If the topic is longer than two screens , use subheading to break it into
sections
Task Topics
Task Topic tells the user how to accomplish a goal.
A Task topic
Task Guidelines
- DITA Element <title>
- Use a Verb phrase
- Describe the users task, not the function or the menu option the user uses.
Short Description
- DITA element <shortDesc>
- Include an opening paragraph to briefly introduce the task and explain what the
task information helps users accomplish , the benefits of the task , or the
purpose of the task
- Length :1-3 sentences, no more than 50 words
10
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
You can change the data type of a column so your data types are consistent
across tables. Use the alter NICKNAME statement to change the data type of a
column.
Prerequisite
- DITA element <prereq>
- Include information (steps or tasks) that user s need to complete before they
can successfully start steps in a task
- Use links to existing task topics if necessary
Context
- DITA element <context>
- Include additional information users need to be successful such as limitations or
environment requirements that are not tasks
Content
- DITA elements: <step><steps><steps-unordered>
- Use numbered list for steps users perform in order
- Include only one set of step per task topic
- Write steps as brief imperative sentences
- Write one step for each significant user action. Keep logical user actions
together. For example, click a>b>c, or Type AAA and click Ok.
- Set the context for the step first, then provide the imperative statement. For
example, In the XYZ window, do ABC, or To overwrite the file, click Replace.
- If a task has more than nine steps, try to divide it into two or more separate
task topics- NOT two separate tasks in the same topic, but two separate task
topics
- Consider designing and creating a super task topic that links to smaller tasks.
For example, create a task topic (akin to the task topic set discussed earlier)
and include task topics to describe the different tasks.
11
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
Reference Topics
Reference topics provide quick access to facts.
A reference topic
Titles
- DITA Element <Title>
- Use a noun, noun string
- Do not begin the heading with an article
- Consistence is an absolute must
Short Description
- DITA element <short Desc>
- Briefly introduce the reference element and describe what the item does, what it
is, or what it is used for.
12
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
The COUNT command displays the current number of rows in the table. The rows
are counted by the SQL SELECT COUNT (*) function.
Content
- DITA elements: many
- Use a consistent format (with standard subheadings) for reference topics about
parallel subject matter (message, help, API class description, data loads etc.)
- Make the topic easy to scan using lists and tables extensively
- Make the topic as long as it needs to be to cover the subject matter. Include the
purpose, restrictions, authority, examples and other important information.
The following table shows guidelines that short descriptions should adhere to for
each topic type
13
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
Classifying Content
Information developers can add metadata tags to existing information using
taxonomy. The classification data can be used by the interface to enhance the
users experience in a variety of ways, including faceted browsing, personalization
and search ranking.
The following table lists factors you should and should not consider when classifying
content:
14
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
15
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
Identifying who your users are and the tasks they perform
To organize information around tasks users perform to achieve their goals, you must know
who the users are, how they use your information to be successful. In addition you need to
provide pathways through the information, both with a hierarchy such as a table of contents
and with relational links so that users can find and follow the information flow.
16
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
Identify Goals
A user goal is what the user is trying to do not the individual steps required to do
it. For example the role of writers is to
- What skill does the user need to effectively use this product to meet their
goals?
- What information can we expect the user to get from other resources
- What information specific to this product do we need to provide?
For example, writers using the DITA tool kit with an XML editor to author information
need the following skills and knowledge
17
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
- Create topics
- Author content
- Specify navigation
- Define relationship links
Organize Tasks
Based on the user goal organize the tasks to support the each goal. In some cases,
there are common tasks that every user needs to perform to achieve multiple goals.
- Can you provide role based navigation for each role or must you use one
navigation to meet the needs of multiple roles? This depends a great deal on
the product. If the product is standalone product and is targeted to a specific
role, create a single navigation.
For example, heres an illustration of the tasks of a user with an admin role:
18
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
In some cases the same information supports multiple tasks. This represents an
opportunity for reusing information.
19
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
the next task when there is a sequence. When a task has subtasks, the parent task
can also include a generated summary of the subtasks.
20
Information Architecture and User /Task Analysis
o Simulators
21