Usability in Online Documents and Interactive Design

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11.2: Summaries in online documentation
20.1: Examples of Robohelp
20.4 More models of interactive sites
20.5 More on usability testing

Robohelp Quick Tours
Often criticized for being too expensive, many larger companies employ Robohelp for online support and documentation. You have probably used it without knowing it. By taking a quick tour, you will become aware of its primary features and interface, even if your school cannot afford to buy it for classroom labs.
Hightext Documentation and Online Services
Consulting firm offers a portfolio of technical documents such as user guides, tech manuals and publicity releases, and an online help guide. Site requires the Adobe Acrobat plug-in, which is downloadable from this site, to view some samples.
Useit.com: Jakob Nielsen's Web site
For many, a bi-weekly bible on usability, unrelentingly focused on functional information products. For others, a source of controversy over methodology, inelegant design, and a general excuse to rant. Regardless, friends and foes still read the site on a regular basis. Straightforward and easy to understand, full of both good and bad Web site critiques.
Usability Experts Are from Mars; Graphic Designers Are from Venus
Curt Cloninger takes up the battle for designers in the onslaught of usability experts, taking issue with shortcomings in Jakob Nielsen's approach and offering some ideas why graphic designers have a hard time articulating their views in the face of the usability field's prescriptive but often ugly standards.
"Crossing Over with Jakob Nielsen"
Cartoon parody that blends talking to the dead with Nielsen's famous style of Web site critique.
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Professional organization centered around the interactions between human beings and the design of systems and devices. Many technical communicators find themselves part of human factors workgroups, human-computer interaction groups, or information architecture groups.
Human-Computer Interaction Resources: Guidelines, Style Guides, Standards
A comprehensive list of human-computer interaction links to begin to establish some consistency in a new and often uneven field.
Usability Special Interest Group Newsletter
Quarterly publication of the Society of Technical Communication Special Interest Group to help technical communicators stay current with the latest developments in usability research and methodologies.

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