IngentaConnect Usability, Structured Content, and Single Sourcing with XML

Author: Sapienza, Filipp

Source: Technical Communication, Volume 51, Number 3, August 2004 , pp. 399-408(10)

Publisher: Society for Technical Communication

Abstract:

XML sites are becoming a popular way to organize and manage online content. Less attention has focused on the usability aspects of XML-based content. This article examines four usability issues that emerge from XML development. The first issue concerns changes in the way technical writers evaluate the usability of modular text. Modular writing requires that text be evaluated in terms of generic reusability in multiple contexts, but not at the expense of applicability to specific situations. Second, using XML for communication tasks complicates the normal development cycle. Markup processes typically come at the beginning, while usability testing comes at the end. However, XML permits rapid templating and changes that permit smaller user tests throughout the development cycle. The third issue is a blurring of the roles between designer and user. With XML, a user may encounter adaptable and adaptive interfaces that can be customized based on dynamically generated user models and feedback. The user must become a co-designer as well as receiver of information. The fourth issue concerns the interoperability of XML documents for multiple audiences and media. Designers can provide different views of the same content from a single source or feed different sources into the same interface. Usability will need to be evaluated in terms of the interrelationships among different interfaces and content views.

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