Below is a detailed table of contents for the Online Help System Design course.
1. Getting started
Objectives
Outline/Contents
Prerequisites
Computing requirements
Communications
How will I learn?
Grading
Getting started
2. Introducing online help systems
What is online help?
Behind the curtain
Why go online?
Help formats
HTML Help
JavaHelp
WebHelp
FlashHelp
Other formats
Types of online documentation
Writing principles for online help
Understanding context-sensitivity
Tooltips
Planning context-sensitive topics
Can help authors and developers get along?
Accessing help from the application
Single source publishing
Traditional vs. single source publishing
Content reuse
Why bother with single source?
It can’t all be good
Online help authoring tools
HTML Help Workshop
RoboHelp
HelpNDoc
Flare
OxygenXML
Summary
Quiz
Exercise
3. Managing your help project
Information development cycle
Planning phase
Design phase
Development phase
Production phase
Verification phase
Planning the help system
Maintaining project documentation
Members of an online help project
Designing for efficient production
Reusable components
Planning for version control or multiple contributors
Managing different outputs
Summary
Quiz
4. Analysis
Determining your audience
How to think like a user
Observe the questions users ask
Trends in asking questions
Testing for questions
Checklist of common questions
Writing a user profile
Types of audiences
Novice users
Experienced users
Audience information needs analysis
Environment analysis
Performing task analysis
Methods for performing task analysis
Using task analysis to determine scope
Sample user/task matrix
Creating a user/task matrix
Reviewing source material
Summary
Quiz
5. Information planning
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Creating an information plan
Is an information plan needed?
Information plan process
What to include in an information plan
Information plan template
Content specification
Creating a project plan
Project tracking
Project time budgeting
Final project report
Summary
Quiz
Assignment one
Goals
Description
Tools
Grading
Upload the assignment for marking
6. Designing your help system
Initial design decisions
Categories of help information
Number of help topics
Common tasks
Screen layout
Formatting content
CSS
Accessing Help
Features of the help system
Browse sequences
Breadcrumbs
Related topics
Writing style
Developing the preliminary help model
Understanding information types
Choosing topics
Structuring the help system
Hierarchy
Creating a prototype
Writing the content specification
Summary
Quiz
Develop a help model
7. Writing help content
Writing topics
Minimalism
Chunking
Make no assumptions about context
Make each topic “an island”
Be consistent
Be concise
Write medium-neutral content
Readability
Limit the use of jargon
Use short simple sentences
Focus on the user
Use active voice
Positive vs. negative
Use tables for reference
Use lists
Use parallel form
Highlight important information
Use present tense
Choose the right tone
Task-oriented information
Introductory information
Using lists for instructions
Single action in each step
Providing one method of completing a task
Limiting the number of steps
Graphics
Standards for procedures
Results or examples
Organizing information
Sample help system structure
Summary
Quiz
8. Developing topics
Help authoring tool
Graphics software
Determining standards
Designing topics
Conceptual topics
Procedural topics
Reference topics
Instructional topics
Additional topic types
Usability factors
Topic headings
Managing a project
Links
Pop-ups
Browse sequences
Cross-references
Related links
Graphics and other media
Using graphics
Creating and editing graphics
Warnings and cautions
Summary
Quiz
Assignment two
Goals
Description
Tools
Learning to use HelpNDoc
Grading
Submitting the assignment
10. Generating keywords and links
Keywords and index
What are keywords?
Adding keywords
Establishing conventions for indexing
Generating keywords
Primary and secondary keywords
Tricks to make indexing easy
Procedural topics
Conceptual or command topics
Other categories of help information
Link controls
Keyword links
See also links
Related topics
Using search
Determining keywords for a topic
Adding keywords in HelpNDoc
Summary
Quiz
12. Additional help features
Customizing HTML Help
Customizing output in HelpNDoc
Customizing WebHelp
Customizing HTML Help
Customizing styles
Conditional text
Implementing conditional topics
Implementing conditional text
Snippets
Integrating online help with software
Summary
Quiz
13. Testing your help system
Running an online help system
Debugging
Testing your help file
Editorial review of topics
Technical review of online help system
Usability testing
Summary
Quiz
Assignment three
Goals
Description
Grading
Submitting the assignment
References
Resources for help authors
Glossary