User Assistance
Encyclopedia
User assistance is a general term for guided assistance to a user of a software product. The phrase incorporates all forms of help available to a user. Assistance can also automatically perform procedures or step users through the procedure, depending on the question that the user asked. The term is broader than online help
, and includes procedural and tutorial information.
.
, tutorials, printed manuals (and their PDF
equivalents), and user interface text. User assistance professionals also contribute to enterprise knowledge bases and content management systems.
, and subject matter expert
(SME) interviewing. Since the user assistance profession is directly involved with software development, the discipline often requires an understanding of UI
design, usability testing, localization
, testing, quality assurance
, instructional design, scripting or programming, and accessibility.
A traditional form of user assistance is a user manual, which is distributed either with the product in paper
form or electronically. Typical features of a user manual include installation procedures, a guide to how to use the software, as well as a disclaimer stating the licencing status of the software. Details of a helpline may also be available.
Online help
Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through computer software. It is a form of user assistance. Most online help is designed to give assistance in the use of a software application or operating system, but can also be used to present information on a broad...
, and includes procedural and tutorial information.
What it does
User assistance provides information to help a person to interact with software. This can include describing the user interface, but also focuses on how to help the user to best apply the software capabilities to their needs. User assistance can be considered a component of the broader category of user experienceUser experience
User experience is the way a person feels about using a product, system or service. User experience highlights the experiential, affective, meaningful and valuable aspects of human-computer interaction and product ownership, but it also includes a person’s perceptions of the practical aspects such...
.
Devices
User assistance employs a number of devices including help, wizardsWizard (software)
A software wizard or setup assistant is a user interface type that presents a user with a sequence of dialog boxes that lead the user through a series of well-defined steps. Tasks that are complex, infrequently performed, or unfamiliar may be easier to perform using a wizard...
, tutorials, printed manuals (and their PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
equivalents), and user interface text. User assistance professionals also contribute to enterprise knowledge bases and content management systems.
Skills required
Effective user assistance development requires a variety of communication skills. These include writing, editing, task analysisTask analysis
Task analysis is the analysis of how a task is accomplished, including a detailed description of both manual and mental activities, task and element durations, task frequency, task allocation, task complexity, environmental conditions, necessary clothing and equipment, and any other unique factors...
, and subject matter expert
Subject Matter Expert
A subject matter expert or domain expert is a person who is an expert in a particular area or topic. When spoken, sometimes the acronym "SME" is spelled out and other times voiced as a word ....
(SME) interviewing. Since the user assistance profession is directly involved with software development, the discipline often requires an understanding of UI
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
design, usability testing, localization
Internationalization and localization
In computing, internationalization and localization are means of adapting computer software to different languages, regional differences and technical requirements of a target market...
, testing, quality assurance
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, or QA for short, is the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service or facility to maximize the probability that minimum standards of quality are being attained by the production process...
, instructional design, scripting or programming, and accessibility.
Instruction manual
For information related to this topic, see Instruction manual (computer and video games)A traditional form of user assistance is a user manual, which is distributed either with the product in paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
form or electronically. Typical features of a user manual include installation procedures, a guide to how to use the software, as well as a disclaimer stating the licencing status of the software. Details of a helpline may also be available.