tekom-Jahrestagung 2012 - ActiveDoc

User Assistance
Writing Style
Formatting
Video
Indexes
Testing
Since the screen is smaller, and users on mobile devices may be more
distracted, you want to write more minimalist, easy-to-scan topics. Keep
information short and to the point. You can manage different versions of
the same topic easily in a single-sourcing environment using conditions.
Collapsible navigation (which also adds to the usability of desktop Help)
is a great way to make information more readable in Mobile outputs.
Bulleted and numbered lists may take up valuable real estate in Mobile
outputs; experiment with using conditions to create lists without bullets
and numbering and see if they are more readable in Mobile outputs.
When creating links within topics, make sure none are placed too close
together, because users could touch more than one link at a time. You
may need to increase the size of buttons in Mobile outputs to accommodate
the fact that most people use their thumbs to navigate.
Approximately one billion YouTube videos are streamed on cell phones
every day, so you may want to consider adding additional videos for
Mobile outputs. Using more video and less text may be the optimum mix
for your Mobile outputs, and videos are also valuable in desktop Help.
Indexes are not necessarily needed in Mobile outputs; if you’ve created
one for desktop Help, you may choose to hide it in Mobile outputs.
Make sure to test your Mobile outputs on as many devices as possible
(you can also use emulators for testing). A handy utility to check mobile
friendliness is the W3C mobileOK Checker at http://validator.w3.org/
mobile/
Further Reading and References
Ten Best Practices for Your Mobile Website: http://socialmedia.
biz/2012/05/31/10-best-practices-for-your-mobile-website/
Ten Mobile Site Best Practices: http://googlemobileads.blogspot.
com/2011/11/gomo-ten-mobile-site-best-practices.html
Mobile Web Design Best Practices: http://www.noupe.com/how-tos/
mobile-web-design-tips-and-best-practices.html
Mobile in the Enterprise Infographic from gigaom.com: http://gigaom.
com/collaboration/infographic-the-enterprise-mobile-explosion/
Touch Gesture Reference Guide by Craig Villamor, Dan Willis, and Luke
Wroblewski http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1071
Mobile Help Best Practices: http://our.componentone.com/2012/01/25/
mobile-help-best-practices-part-2/
Hans van der Meij on Minimalism: http://users.edte.utwente.nl/meij/
minimalism.htm
Carroll, John M. The Nurnberg Funnel: Designing Minimalist Instruction
for Practical Computer Skill, MIT Press, 1990
Carroll, John M. (Editor) Minimalism Beyond the Nurnberg Funnel, MIT
Press, 1998
Welinske, Joe. Developing User Assistance for Mobile Apps, WritersUA,
2011
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