Current issues in assessing and improving documentation usability

User documentation is now a vital element of successful computer products. Managers and developers recognize that the common model of documentation as remediation for deficient design must not persist, but they often don't know how to build documentation usability into an ongoing product-development effort. The challenges of documentation usability have grown with the proliferation of available media:• Traditional print-based documentation• Online tutorials and documentation delivered with the product• Online help systems• Documentation delivered over the WWW• "Educational" and performance support elements of the user interface: wizards, error messages, screen dialogue