Overview
When we write User Documents we rely on our Reader’s/User’s experience to simplify our work. This can cause problems for the Reader. This article will discuss the effects of Reader experience and how to minimize the negative effects of incompatible experience, and how to handle the writer’s assumptions about the Reader.
Writer’s Benefits: Relying on Reader Experience
When we write, we rely on our Reader’s experience to give us a “starting point” for our User Document. Often we make hidden assumptions about our Reader’s experience.
Here are some examples where relying on our Reader’s experience makes things easy (and causes problems) for us as writers:
Example: Using a Computer’s Mouse
In writing User Documentation for Graphical User Interface-based computer products (such as the Windows or Mac User interface), we assume that the the Reader knows how to use a mouse to click on items, drag, etc. This saves much background writing.
Example: Cooking: How to Measure Ingredients; Terms
Cook books save space by (usually correctly) assuming that a Reader can...
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