What documentation and training are you pushing out with your app?

Question

The question is pretty self-explanatory, but for those of you pushing out new applications, or having to support legacy systems, how do you effectively get training for new users out there?

I think the way of handing over a book is obsolete, and spending an hour or two showing someone around a system is just a waste of time as a developer, so...

• Do you rely on other users of the system to show a newbie?
• Do you have documentation that you expect them to read?
• Hope that the application interface is intuitive enough for someone performing the job?
• Use wikis or collaborative tools, sharepoint, etc?
• Have videos?

I'm beginning to half think a simple wiki might be helpful in the long run to explain things that aren't self explanatory, but also linking in screencasts of how to do it in the interface - as long as the interface doesn't change too often to make the screencasts obsolete.

What's worked for you and what do you think is worth pursuing?

Answer 1

I try for a simple and intuitive interface, and a good integrated help system is a must. In the end you are genarally reliant on the userbase wanting to use the app, so the process really needs to start at the requirements phase and getting user buy-in.

With legacy apps you are really in the lap of the gods, as the knowledge lives with the existing user base. In this case you have to be somewhat reliant on established users passing on knowledge, because as a developer you are never going to acquire that depth of knowledge that is applicable to day to day usage.

Answer 2

In the new application I am writing, I am creating context sensitive help links that explain each page. For more complex tasks I am also adding Flash video examples. The initial reaction has been very positive, but it is a lot of extra work. That said, an intuitive interface goes a long way towards making your life easier if you support the applications you write. Although I haven't implemented one, I think a wiki would also be a good tool.

Answer 3

Camtasia Studio is a great app to create video tutorials. In my experience, those screencasts are a great way to educate your users --- combined with some reference documentation on paper.

Answer 4

I've used the "end user documentation in a wiki" approach combined with training a non-dev staff member to curate it's contents. I outlined the basics and then let the staff member fill the gaps and collate client feedback into FAQ's. It was so much easier using the wiki compared to updating a document.

The wiki I used was based on free open source ScrewTurn Wiki, which is written in c#. There is a propriertory download with an MSinstallation setup msi if you don't intend to change it's code. I found it pretty painless to install.

Answer 5

We have quite a complex product, so we strongly encourage new users to attend a training class. Once they're productive, we encourage them to use the context sensitive help (authored in Robohelp), and FAQs (authored in Word and distributed as PDFs on our web site). We've recently started making videos available too (Camtasia).

A revamp of our help system is long overdue and I'm keen to try out a wiki. Also the features offered by products like Madcap Feedback sound interesting.

Answer 6

I'm pushing out a lot of applications to a developer audience and I am finding a mixed method works well.

1. Documentation within the tool- highest quality possible

2. Wiki page with simple steps or cheat sheets for the bits you do most often or traps for young players. Vital if the installation can be a bit tricky or needs a step modified by the end users.

3. Promotional videos- less than 7 mins long, which give an overview and act as promotional material for any new features

4. eLearning material for any new complicated tools or techniques. Provide a 1 hour summary of a day long course

5. Full training courses if required.

With a lot of these tools we also have user supported communities running, which work well to identify issues and ensure communication about problems. But these are not a replacement for providing good user training and information in the first place. There is nothing worse than going to a user community where 2/3rds of the posts are "RTFM".

Answer 7

ScreenToaster is a Free online screen recorder paired with a video platform dedicated to screencasts. Just the perfect tool to search and find tutorials, howtos, reviews, tips and tricks, showcases, walkthrough and e-learning formations.

CamStudio is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs).

DemoCreator is a professional screen recording tool to create better-than-live software video tutorials, presentations and training courses.