Technical writers focus on readability by nature. Isn't our primary task to make the complex, simple? But for the documentation to work for the user, i.e., to help the user accomplish the purpose which brought him or her to the document in the first place, we need to write in such a way to as to sustain the reader's interest.
In order to accomplish this, Sierra suggests including more use case studies. Those may or may not be available, but certainly we can come up with real-world examples derived from interviewing our own end users.
Where do you stand on this question: Readability or Interest?
Hi Jeff, I would agree wholeheartedly that I want a writer to capture and hold my attention. If I were to choose from several "How to" books to learn a new skill, I would choose the one that pulls me in. For instance, I recently purchased a book titled "Down and Dirty Tricks" to learn Photoshop Elements 3. Scott Skelby made what is usually very dry writing into a delight to read and use. Such writers sell to me over others anyday!
Posted by: Robyn McMaster | April 5, 2006 5:27 AM | Permalink to Comment