If you don't read UX Matters frequently, you should. Otherwise, you are missing little gems like this answer to a questions in Janet Six's Ask UXMatters column:

... my initial usability testing has found that the concept of views is escaping most people, and I think it often boils down to the term itself. Even if I show users what the software does—and they pretty much always like it when they see it—they still often cannot get over the initial hurdle of the naming convention. When we say Click here to view your views, we see eyes glazing over and drool forming at the corners of the mouths of even the most competent users.

Our own Whitney Quesenbery says:

“Is it the label Views that is confusing people or the actual implementation? I can easily see how eyes might glaze over on being told to View your views, but when users see what’s behind that door, does it make sense to them? Before you can get anywhere with this problem, you need to figure out if it’s the terminology, the learning curve for the software, or if the entire approach is wrong for the types of tasks and information people will be working with.”

Labels: interface, words

UXMatters has launched a new column in which readers can ask questions and UXMatters find experts to answer the question. Note: One of those experts is our very own Whitney Quesenberry.

This first question is about Choosing the Language for a User Interface

And the correct answer? Get the right writer to create the right text.

Describing the role of this writer, Colleen Jones, Partner and Interactive Experience and Communication Consultant at threebrick, says, “The writer needs to be involved throughout your entire development process. First, to write appropriate interface language, the writer needs to understand user needs, business goals, the experience flow, and more. Then, the writer needs time to craft words, in collaboration with the UI designer. The writer needs to be willing to write in a conversational tone. Next, the writer needs time to receive and incorporate feedback from the project team and testing with users. Finally, the writer needs to help ensure the wording gets implemented correctly.

Read the full article for process suggestions, good reads on the subject, and more.

Labels: interface, words

As technical communicators, we all work with editors or as editors from time to time. Any project team sooner or later has to manage reviewing slides, a spec, or some other document that represents the entire group's thoughts.

Textflow is a new entry into online editing that does more than make revision versions, let you leave comments, or mark added and deleted text.

Textflow: Collaborative Editing Made Easy - ReadWriteWeb

As this article points out, there are limitations in this beta, such as no more than 10 pages in a document. That aside, it is time people explore new ways of online editing.

Labels: collaboration, words