We aim to create high-quality content. We really do. But, more-often-than-not, we fail. We understand that high-quality content must be clear, concise, and consistent in voice, tone, and terminology. We also know that it’s supposed to be easily findable, accessible, retrievable, and relevant those who need it—delivered when, where, and how they prefer it.
Crafting content that follows the rules (grammar, punctuation, linguistics) isn’t good enough. Our content also has to be helpful.
In this fast-paced talk, Scott Abel describes what it means to be helpful. You’ll discover how understanding the power of explanation
Presented November 27, 2018, at Quadrus Conference Center for Information Development World 2018.
What Does it Mean to Be Helpful? with Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler
1. what does it mean to be
helpful
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
? Scott Abel,The Content Wrangler
Information Development World
November 27, 2018 Menlo Park, CA
3. Scott Abel,The Content Wrangler
Information Development World
November 27, 2018 Menlo Park, CA
presentation
150th
november
2017san jose, ca
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
5. SCOTT@THECONTENTWRANGLER.COM @SCOTTABEL THECONTENTWRANGLER.COM
I HOPE TO
CONVINCE YOU THAT
AND FOCUS ON
CREATING AGENTIVE
CONTENT SOLUTIONS
THAT WORK ON BEHALF
OF OUR CUSTOMERS
WE MUST PRODUCE
MACHINE-READY CONTENT
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
18. SCOTT@THECONTENTWRANGLER.COM @SCOTTABEL THECONTENTWRANGLER.COM
a cognitive bias — one party assumes
that the others have the background
knowledge needed to understand
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
the curse of
knowledge
what is the curse of knowledge?
23. you know helpful when
you experience it … just
as you know unhelpful
when you experience it …
Associate Justice (1958—1981)
United States Supreme Court
Justice Potter Stewart
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
24. when you see it
you know helpful
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
25. organizations are
working to make
their content
easy to understand
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
26. Lookfor ways to make your content
the 5 Cs
helpfulcontent is
empathetic
valuable
useful
clear
concise
consistent
considerate
convenient
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
27. questions to ask about your content
Scott Abel,The Content Wrangler
Information Development World
November 27, 2018 Menlo Park, CA
how will the content you plan
to create meet the needs of
your audiences?
how will you
measure success?
which audiences?which needs, exactly?
helpful
or not?
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
28. if content is king
then context is the kingdom
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
29. incorrect assumptions damage experiences
what Target assumed
small, stuffy office spaceproblem:
purchase a small fansolution:
shop for informationstrategy:
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
30. helpfulness offered helpfulness offered
helpfulness offered
return?
I’ll try this!
neither one!
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
who said anything
about a return?
I guess I have
no other choice
where is the
content I need?
31. let me tell
you a story
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
32. meet Carla
documentation manager
Carla thinks that improving the quality of the
content her team produces should improve
the customer experience and in turn lead to a
reduction in customer complaints
multinational medical devices firm
competitors encroaching
customer complaints rising
configurable products
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
33. twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
traditional technical documentation
approaches are preventing her team from
creating content of value that meets the
needs of both her company and its
prospective and existing customers
Carla realizes that…
34. Carla has noticed
that the support
team spends
considerable time
explaining to
customers how
their products work
Carla works with others
to discover the problem
meets with the support team
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
35. twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
she learns that both prospective and existing
customers complain that the content provided
by her team is confusing and frustrating to use
by collaborating with others
36. Carla’s research uncovers
an unexpected challenge
her team has an
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
problem
explanation
efficiency
over understanding
they’ve focused on
37. twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
an explanation framework that will help her
team focus on creating understanding,
instead of just the efficient publishing of facts
understanding
over efficiency
fortunately,
Carla discovered
38. Carla discovered that an explanation framework
could be used to help her team explain ideas in
the most helpful ways possible
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
40. reach of current explanations
more understandingless understanding
potential market
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
leaderspractitionersearly adopters
goal: move to right
the explanation scale
the curse of
knowledge
41. the curse of knowledge cripples
your ability to make accurate
assumptions the curse of
knowledge
humans favor
plausibility
over accuracy
we need the appearance of truth to see
something as credible or believable
42. the curse of knowledge prevents
us from understanding how our
language sounds to those outside
our organizations
the curse of
knowledge
explanations fail when
we are unable to translate the language of our work
to the language of a potentially underinformed audience
43. reach of current explanations
more understandingless understanding
potential market
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
leaderspractitionersearly adopters
goal: move to right
the explanation scale
everything starts with why how becomes important
explanations
stories
case studies
use cases
processes
case studiesexplanations
procedures
best practices
44. reach of current explanations
more understandingless understanding
potential market
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
leaderspractitionersearly adopters
goal: move to right
the explanation scale
everything starts with why how becomes important
explanations
stories
case studies
use cases
processes
case studiesexplanations
procedures
best practices
45. Carla discovered that an explanation framework
could be used to help her team explain ideas in
the most helpful ways possible
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
46. Create content that makes it easy for
others who “get it” to quickly and
effectively explain it to others
goal
needs
• standardized
product descriptions
terminology
definitions
tactics
• audience needs analysis
• content inventory
• content model creation
• assumption testing
• incorporating lessons learned
47.
48.
49. what does it mean to be
helpful
twitter: @scottabel @contentwrangler #idw2018
? Scott Abel,The Content Wrangler
Information Development World
November 27, 2018 Menlo Park, CA