Introducing the Head Up Display. Say hello to the future of the menu

The Ubuntu operating system is to replace its application menus with a  “head-up display” (HUD) box. According to Mark Shuttleworth, Lead design and product strategy person at the company behind Ubuntu: We can search through everything we know about the menu, including descriptive help text, so pretty soon you will be able to find a… Read more »

UAEurope 2011 conference review

UAEurope 2011 was possibly the most enjoyable and interesting conference in its long history. Sonia Fuga of Northgate explained how they are using DITA, WordPress and Web 2.0 features to streamline the documentation process, simplify the review process and deliver interactive context sensitive Help for one of their larger applications. Delegates were interested in how… Read more »

Help is broken?

Are we at the point when we need to acknowledge that classic online Help files are not working as well as they should – that is, as the primary source of information to assist users when they get stuck? This is not a Don Draper “why I’m quitting tobacco” moment, and this is not a… Read more »

Should we change the structure of user guides to make them more inspiring?

Nancy Duarte presented a talk on the hidden structure that the greatest communicators and persuaders have used over thousands of years: She argues effective presenters move from “What is” to “What Could be” during their speech: The effect is that changes happens – ideas get adopted. It’s easier to see it working in training documentation,… Read more »