Kathy Sierra Essays

One passage I thought was interesting in the set of Kathy Sierra essays we had to read for class was, "Yes, this is a big "duh", but orientation is everything. When you ask someone to create a manual, be sure they know who and what it's for. Be sure they know that the goal is not simply To Accurately Document The Thing, but to Help The User Kick Ass. This one shift in perspective could change a user's world."
I didn't exactly agree with everything she had to say about the manual in general because a product's manual is not the first thing I get excited about when I make a purchase. I understand that a few of the steps she mentions would be a great improvement to manuals, but its not going to bother me either way. As a user, I rarely look at a manual unless it is a really complex product, or if I am having a trouble shooting problem. Even in those situations, I can still find what I am looking for because of the index, which Kathy does mention as one of her steps. However, I do not feel the need to "kick ass" while I am reading a manual because it deals with very little of the product. If you think about it, do you really even know where most of the manuals are for products after you have set them up initially. After reading these essays, and mainly the last one, How to get Users to RTFM, I just believe she puts too much emphasis on such a little aspect of the product. I can't remember the last time I blamed a manual for being inefficient in giving me the information I need. Even though it would be nice to look at a manual that is designed like a brochure, from a business sense it makes sense not to make it full of pretty pictures that will keep the reader entertained because it is not the purpose of a manual. Contrary to Kathy's belief, a manuals purpose is to, "Accurately Document the Thing."

http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/09/how_to_get_user.html