At FontoXML we’re a big fan of the bestseller ‘Don’t make me think’ by Steve Krug. A book about human-computer interaction and web usability. The book’s premise is that a good software program or web site should let users accomplish their intended tasks as easily and directly as possible. A must-read for web- and software-designers as far as we’re concerned.

Technical writing

Day in, day out, we’re trying to make FontoXML even more user-friendly by wondering if we’re making our users (subject matter experts) think. The funny thing is that FontoXML is used for technical writing which involves the creation of useful documents that can be clearly understood by readers. Good technical writing clarifies jargon, presenting useful information that is clear and easy to understand for the intended audience; poor technical writing may increase confusion by creating unnecessary jargon or failing to explain it.

In other words: good technical writers don’t make you think.

Content creation by subject matter experts

If you’ve ever used a manual of any kind, you know this is a big challenge. And so is making a web-based XML editor for technical writers. Especially because subject matter experts, with little (technical) writing experience and XML-knowledge, are also expected to create information which is clear and easy to understand.

Intuitive web-based XML editor

We’re convinced that we can develop a super intuitive web-based XML editor which can be used by subject matter experts ‘without thinking’. We’re eager to do so because we know the feeling of frustration you get when a manual just isn’t helping out or when software isn’t working the way you think it would.