Minimalism with Miffy

© Copyright 2000-2013 TIBCO Software Inc.

Minimalism with Miffy

Mugdha Kulkarni

© Copyright 2000-2013 TIBCO Software Inc. 2

Objectives

• Understanding and appreciating Minimalism with the help of Miffy

• Learning how to practice it

• Motivating ourselves


In the last year…

How many pages of content??


In the last year…

How much time on writing??


In the last year…

How much was the reuse??


According to you…

What is minimalism??


Is it?

How do you practice it??


So then…

What were/are the challenges??


Benefits

• Simple content• Usable content• No overload of information• Easy to find information

For Users:


Benefits and Definition

• Manageable doc sets• Reusable content• Helps structured writing

For Us:

Strategy for absolutely essential task-oriented

information


Let’s meet Miffy!


Everyone Else!


• Clean lines

• Minimal details

• Small differentiators

• Five colors

• Three shades

• Consistent format

• Simple story

Why Miffy for Minimalism?


Why Minimalism?

I scrolled… and scrolled… and scrolled…

and…

Do I… Need to…

Work out??

Uhh.. A heap!

I read all that.. Now

forgot where to begin…

Extensive..But exhausting!


The Nurnberg Funnel The paradox of sense making

Concepts in Minimalism

Strategy for absolutely essential task-oriented information

Can we follow minimalism in traditional authoring?


An Example Exercise


Learning the Differences

Systems Approach Minimalistic Approach

Emphasizes on completeness Helps users explore (sometimes, abrupt)

Features and functionality User’s tasks

End-to-end information (can be linear) Scenarios and use cases (modular)

Requires careful reading Assumes less reading

Helps users avoid errors Errors are teachable moments

Users are organized and Users are spontaneous andeager to learn from the docs busy learning on their own


Principles of Minimalism

Bring it on!

• Take a scenario-based or task-oriented approach

• Contribute to the software UI from a user’s perspective

• Help users understand and recover from errors

• Deliver modular documents that encourage users to study further


Evolving as a Minimalist Writer

Completeness

Accuracy

Minimalism

User a

nd Usage Patt

ern

Delivery

Form

at

Authoring Envir

onmentTe

chnica

l Depth


Train the Brain!• Focus more on user’s tasks, not on product features

• Structure the document based on a task list

• Write to the user (distinguish between expert and naïve readers in paragraph constructions)

• Initially include one round for minimalistic review in the review cycle

• Later, include the recurring mistakes as self review items

• Reduce the items with practice

PracticemakesP !ermanent

Remember

Minimalism is not just about

BREVITY!


Evolving as a Minimalist Team• Collaborate with the stakeholders; share your vision

• Come up with task lists and common customer scenarios

• Define the minimalistic doc set, establish guidelines

• Evaluate the existing and select the right authoring and publishing software

• Define the roles and responsibilities within the TechPubs team, especially an information architect and

an editor

• Set best practices

• Keep practicing consciously


Challenges

Can the documentation for your product be

scenario-based or task-based?Is the TechPubs group able to strategize

the initiative?Can each of you reach the required technical depth?

Is everybody involved aware of the

advantages as well as risks?

Are others ready to help you with tasks and

scenarios?Do you have to document multiple ways of doing a

task?


The Biggest Challenge

Remember

Minimalism is an afterthought!

Minimalism is unnatural!

Are you ending up with abrupt, confusing, or

incomplete user documentation?


BewareAnything in excess is dangerous.

That’s Miffy eating a cake!


Dick Bruna

Creator of Miffy


!Questions?

?

All t

he v

isua

ls a

nd w

orks

site

d in

this

pre

sent

ation

s ar

e th

e pr

oper

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f the

ir re

spec

tive

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rs.


“Virtue depends partly upon training and partly upon practice; you must learn first, and then strengthen your learning by action.”

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

For comments and queries – [email protected]

Thank You!Images credit : Miffy.org and Google images

mailto:[email protected]


How Miffy Came to Life?• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezy22CYVo3M• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzn2LMz-lA• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V52ZBZb1Rsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezy22CYVo3M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzn2LMz-lA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V52ZBZb1Rsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V52ZBZb1Rsc

Minimalism with Miffy

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