Comments on: Usability readings http://wrecking.org/cbd/2005/11/12/usability-readings/ Software studies, technical communication, writing studies, web accessibility, and new media. Life with my girls. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:40:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: cbd » Blog Archive » Defining accessibility http://wrecking.org/cbd/2005/11/12/usability-readings/#comment-213 cbd » Blog Archive » Defining accessibility Sat, 24 Dec 2005 18:01:34 +0000 http://wrecking.org/cbd/?p=85#comment-213 [...] As I’ve written before, I like complex definitions of usability, like classical definitions from Dumas and Redish, and more recent formulations, like Whitney Quisenbery’s “five dimensions.” Perhaps we need a similar “dimensional” definition for accessibility? [...] [...] As I’ve written before, I like complex definitions of usability, like classical definitions from Dumas and Redish, and more recent formulations, like Whitney Quisenbery’s “five dimensions.” Perhaps we need a similar “dimensional” definition for accessibility? [...]

]]> By: cbd http://wrecking.org/cbd/2005/11/12/usability-readings/#comment-184 cbd Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:45:17 +0000 http://wrecking.org/cbd/?p=85#comment-184 You just shape the parts for your needs, like in the example. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "high context," but say you're working on internal documentation which is used by folks familiar with a certain system. Then you could lower the importance of ease of use, and raise that of efficiency and effectiveness, and perhaps error tolerance depending on the specific application. This takes a bit more work, but it's much more worth it, IMO. You just shape the parts for your needs, like in the example. I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “high context,” but say you’re working on internal documentation which is used by folks familiar with a certain system. Then you could lower the importance of ease of use, and raise that of efficiency and effectiveness, and perhaps error tolerance depending on the specific application.

This takes a bit more work, but it’s much more worth it, IMO.

]]> By: Virginia Agnew http://wrecking.org/cbd/2005/11/12/usability-readings/#comment-181 Virginia Agnew Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:17:44 +0000 http://wrecking.org/cbd/?p=85#comment-181 Error-tolerant? Yes . . . I read the Quisenbery piece and liked the examples regarding financial software --especially applicable when the user is the everyday person on the street. What about writing for specific audiences --high-context audiences? As a writer, even a small error is difficult in documentation. You have to write what the user will see, which may not be correct. Also, tech writers do not document bugs! But we lack the power to squash them. Alas! Error-tolerant? Yes . . . I read the Quisenbery piece and liked the examples regarding financial software –especially applicable when the user is the everyday person on the street. What about writing for specific audiences –high-context audiences?

As a writer, even a small error is difficult in documentation. You have to write what the user will see, which may not be correct. Also, tech writers do not document bugs! But we lack the power to squash them. Alas!

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