One of the many challenges facing technical communicators is how to present the right information at the right time and in the right place. Anticipating where your users might need in-product assistance and what type of assistance they need is a critical component to ensuring your users’ success. We know from usability feedback that when users are required to leave the context of the UI to find documentation or to troubleshoot an issue, it can cause frustration and get in the way of their success.
Whereas, if information is readily available in the UI, users feel that they can learn more quickly and that the product is easier to use. Even more effective is when the information appears before the user even knows they need it. Additionally, the assistance users need is not limited to what we provide in the documentation. They need a holistic in-product support experience. In-product support enables access to support at the user’s fingertips, without having to leave the product’s UI. Users have easy access to self-help support features and can get help when they need it, where they need it most.
In this presentation, we will walk through the evolution from an in-product user assistance solution to an in-product support experience for VMware products, and how you can use our learnings to make the same journey.