FIRST PREMISE
The user guide/help/reference materials for DEVONthink are spotty at best, incomplete, and even wrong in cases where application development has resulted in changes from documented information. For experienced users, Version History notes are often the best references for new or changed features, but that’s a terrible source of information for less experienced users.
It’s not surprising that the most consistent thread of comments about DEVONthink on the user forum is about inadequate documentation, especially the kind of documentation that helps users understand what they could do using DEVONthink, and how to attain their personal objectives for the application.
DEVONtechnologies is a small firm. The developers are, quite properly, putting their resources almost exclusively into application development, not the user documentation.
So DEVONthink itself is becoming one of the most powerful tools available on the Macintosh (or any other platform, I would argue), but the existing user documentation doesn’t give new users clues as to how to approach that power.
Should DEVONtechnologies devote more resources to user manual and help documentation? Yes – certainly in the long run – but that’s a daunting task, especially as the application will continue rapid development and changes. Many years ago, I wrote the user manual for a useful little Apple II database program put out by Silicon Valley Systems. That was easy – the application was a one-time development effort. I don’t think I’d like the job of writing complete user documentation for DEVONthink.
Meanwhile, there are two other ways DEVONtechnologies can help users. The first is already in place, the user forum. The forum is very active and provides users an opportunity to ask questions and discuss features and tricks. (Even here there can be problems, because answers to questions that were appropriate at the time may now be incorrect because of terminology or feature changes.)
The second important user assistance effort should be downloadable tutorials covering a variety of topics, and available from the DEVONtechnologies Web site. These would be modular items, easy to import into or delete from one’s DEVONthink database, addressing common user queries, tips and tricks, troubleshooting and introductions to new features.
This kind of effort would require relatively small resources from DEVONtechnologies but could be important to drawing in and assisting users, with positive impacts on marketing and sales. Modular tutorial/case example files would be easier to update than a formal user guide, when changes are made.
DOWNLOADABLE TUTORIALS/CASE EXAMPLES
[1] The medium
What better medium than use of DEVONthink groups and files, exported (File > Export > Files and Folders) and archived (ZIP or DMG), that can be imported (File > Import > Files and Folders) into a user’s database? The topic can be written in rich text, providing tools such as screen shots, hyperlinking and Wiki linking as appropriate for the task. The very use of this medium would familiarize users with what can be done in DEVONthink!
After reviewing the topic, the user can choose to keep the tutorial file or to delete it.
[2] The topics
Useful topics can be gleaned from queries to DEVONtechnologies Support and the user forum. These could range from topics appropriate to first-time users to those useful to power users. Certainly, changes of procedures or terminology in the application and introduction of new features would trigger corresponding topics.
I’m a proponent of tutorials and case examples, even if there’s a well-done user manual.
The best way for a new user to learn DEVONthink is to play with it. The value of tutorials/case examples (especially for a blank, new database) is to encourage and assist the user to learn by doing.
Very few (if any) people start learning a new application by reading all the way through a user manual. In fact, I’ll maintain that a well-done user manual for a rich and deep application such as DEVONthink will seem daunting and incomprehensible to someone who is approaching it for the first time. That’s not putting down the value of a reference manual, which becomes more and more indispensable as the user learns the application and begins to use it to explore features and for troubleshooting.
Even experienced users can learn new features, examples of what can be done, how-to, etc. from tutorials/case examples.
[3] Development of tutorials/case examples
DEVONtechnologies staff can use this vehicle to enhance user support and to provide documentation and illustrations of new features as they are introduced. If I were DEVONtechnologies (which I’m not) I would view this approach as a good way to support users and satisfy demands for documentation – and even as a good approach to lay out and help maintain more formal application documentation. Why? User satisfaction will lead to more sales – hence more users benefiting from DEVONthink.
Queries and discussions on the user forum can be ‘mined’ for interesting topics. It would probably be a nice touch to give attributions to those who make interesting queries or comments.
Finally, it would be a good idea to invite users to suggest topics, or even to submit tutorial/case example files to DEVONtechnologies for consideration. (Isn’t there some old Chinese proverb about using off-payroll volunteers whenever you can?)
[4] Maintenance and quality assurance
Maintenance and quality assurance of the downloadable files should be the responsibility of DEVONtechnologies.
DEVONtechnologies staff should monitor feedback from Support queries and the user forum in order to continuously improve user assistance.
Comments?