TITLE: Just What They Need, Just When They Need It: An Introduction to Embedded Assistance

AUTHORS(s) & AFFILIATION(s): Andrea L. Ames, Ucentrics

KEYWORD(s): software user assistance, context-sensitive assistance, integrated assistance, information-rich user interface, user-interface design, user-centered design, technical writing, technical communication

PRESENTER / CONTACT PERSON: Andrea L. Ames

CONTACT EMAIL: andrea@ucentrics.com

ABSTRACT:

Only 7% of users in a recent, internal, large-company survey found online help within business productivity software to be "very useful." 65% found it "occasionally useful" or "not useful." And 71% of novices find online help "unhelpful" and not supportive. Why? Help is inherently reactive, anticipating users' failure rather than providing information when users need it--before they fail.

Andrea L. Ames will present an overview of embedded assistance. She will present the traditional documentation deliverables and why they're failing. Then she'll cover the basics of embedded assistance, as well as the technologies and infrastructure and the skills and knowledge you need to develop effective embedded assistance.

Last modified October 28, 2001 by Scott Tilley.