1. Document Development Cycle
TECO 63
M. Reber
1_05
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

2. 01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

3. Table of Contents The Document Assignment Proposal
Functional Specifications
Blueprint
Drafts
Reviews
Final User Guide
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

4. The Document Assignment
The culminating product of the assignment is a page camera-ready, portfolio-quality user’s guide
Research, analyze, plan, schedule, design, write, and evaluate a page manual
You function in two capacities in the creation of user’s guide, as a content expert and as a writer
You select a topic you are an expert on and the topic will be assigned to a writer in the class who, with your help, will create a guide on your topic
As a writer, you are assigned a topic you are unfamiliar with and a content expert to help you create a user’s guide
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

5. Functional Specification
Deliverables
Functional Specification
Proposal
Blue Print
Draft – 1
Reviewed by
Content Expert
Draft – 2
Content Expert &
Peer
Final User Guide
Draft - 3
Instructor
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

6. Proposal
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

7. Proposal Definition and Scope
Proposal is the document where you specify your content area of expertise and state the end objectives, audience profile, and the key tasks that you will explore in the manual
You write a brief proposal providing explanation of the topic you propose to be content expert on to ensure that the topic is of appropriate complexity
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

8. Proposal Template Title of proposal Statement of proposal
Give a short title of your proposal
Statement of proposal
State in 2-4 sentences the subject you propose to be a content expert for
Define the scope of your proposal indicating what parts of the process you will cover and what parts fall beyond the scope of the guide
Explain in detail you familiarity with the subject and how you have gained your expertise in this area
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

9. Proposal Template (Cont.)
Processes involved
Identify at least 5 separate tasks that are required for your subject
Definition of Main Concepts and Terms
Ensure your topic is sufficiently complex
Identify at least 8 key terms or concepts not obvious to the average reader that would need to be explained regarding your project
Troubleshooting
Describe any common problems that occur with your topic and how they are resolved
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

10. Sample Proposal
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

11. Functional Specification
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

12. Functional Specification Definition and Scope
As a content expert, you will:
create a functional specification to give a clear understanding of your subject matter
explain in detail all that you know about your subject
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

13. Functional Specification Template
Purpose
State in 1-2 sentences the purpose of the user guide
Scope
State clearly what the guide will cover and what it will not cover
Prerequisites/Requirements
Identify who the audience for the guide is and their prior knowledge on the subject
State the expected knowledge and experience assumed, if you are writing for an advanced learner profile
List any tools or supplies that will be required for an individual to complete the tasks outlined in the guide
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

14. Functional Specification Template (Cont.)
Processes
Identify what separate processes will need to be covered in the guide to maintain sufficient complexity
Must have a minimum of 4 separate processes, each with distinct steps
Troubleshooting
Anticipate common problems a user may encounter that will need to be addressed
Glossary
List and define key terms that will be used and are essential for accomplishing the purpose
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

15. Sample Functional Specification
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

16. Blueprint
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

17. Blueprint Definition and Scope
Blueprint serves as the fundamental structure of the document
You create a blueprint that outlines the entire structure of your guide, including heading at every level with a brief explanation of the topic
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

18. Blueprint Template
Identify the people who will be involved as a writer, a content expert, and as a peer reviewer
Identify the timeline associated with each activity till project completion
Maintain parallelism in the headings
Start each heading with a verb
Combine headings wherever appropriate and avoid too many headings
Do not have Level 1 heading without a Level 2 heading
Do not have Level 1 heading with only a single Level 2 heading
Explain briefly what will be covered in each section and do not write the entire content
Follow the Blueprint format
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

19. Sample Blueprint
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

20. Drafts
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

21. Draft - 1 Definition and Scope
You will create three drafts during the documentation process
For the first draft:
Ensure your document contains all the details and other related explanations and the information presented is technically accurate (Macro level)
Ensure comprehensiveness of the document, a step towards a complete guide with all sections and steps written
Ensure the basic formatting elements are in place
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

22. Sample Draft - 1
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

23. Draft – 2 Scope
Ensure:
the technical information is accurate at the micro level
the document is reader-focused (usability)
the format is finalized
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

24. Sample Draft - 2
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

25. Draft – 3 Scope Ensure the manual:
contains all the relevant graphics
is perfect in all aspects by your estimation
Is of camera-ready quality
Create a mock-up version of the manual including print, binding, cover, and over-all presentation
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

26. Sample Draft - 3
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

27. Reviews
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

28. Content Expert Review
As a content expert, you will review the each draft created by the writer assigned to your topic
You will ensure technical accuracy of the content and improve the overall usability of the document
You will be graded by the quality of the comments that you make to your writer
Use the User Guide Style Guide checklist for review
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

29. Tips for Content Expert Review
Look for:
Technical accuracy of content
Adequacy of the technical content
Whether the content meets the objective of the topic
End-user pre-requisite knowledge and difficulty level in performing the tasks
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

30. Peer Review
You will review the guide of another classmate in addition to the guide you review as a content expert
You will function as a potential user by conducting a usability test
As a target audience, you will provide valuable feedback to the writer to help communicate effectively
You will be graded on the quality of the comments you make to the guide
Use the User Guide Style Guide checklist for review
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

31. Tips for Peer Review Look for: Parallelism in headings
Adequate white spaces
Consistent formatting
Run-on / incomplete sentences
Active voice
Correct punctuation marks
Grammatically incorrect sentences, such as subject-verb match
End-user focused
Adequacy of technical content
Clarity of tasks
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College

32. Final User Guide
1/6/2005
TECO De Anza College

33. Final User Guide The USER’S GUIDE, due at Final
The guide will be graded on:
Overall usability
Style
Presentation
Graphics
Accuracy
Fit to audience
Correct application of format, grammar, and punctuation
01/06/2005
TECO De Anza College