A4 Article in conference proceedings
Applying Minimalism in the Real World : Results From a Workshop (2020)


Suomivuori, T., Virtaluoto, J., & Suojanen, T. (2020). Applying Minimalism in the Real World : Results From a Workshop. In H. Hirsto, M. Enell-Nilsson, H. Kauppinen-Räisänen, & N. Keng (Eds.), Työelämän viestintä III, Arbetslivskommunikation III, Workplace Communication III, Kommunikation im Berufsleben III : VAKKI-symposiumi XL. Vaasa 6. – 7.2.2020 (pp. 238-251). Vaasan yliopisto. VAKKI publications, 12. https://vakki.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VAKKI2020_SuomivuoriVirtaluotoSuojanen_uusipdf.pdf


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsSuomivuori, Tiia; Virtaluoto, Jenni; Suojanen, Tytti

Parent publicationTyöelämän viestintä III, Arbetslivskommunikation III, Workplace Communication III, Kommunikation im Berufsleben III : VAKKI-symposiumi XL. Vaasa 6. – 7.2.2020

Parent publication editorsHirsto, Heidi; Enell-Nilsson, Mona; Kauppinen-Räisänen, Hannele; Keng, Nicole

Conference:

  • VAKKI Symposium

Place and date of conferenceVaasa6.-7.2.2020

eISBN978-952-68538-9-5

Journal or seriesVAKKI publications

ISSN2242-6841

eISSN2242-685X

Publication year2020

Number in series12

Pages range238-251

Number of pages in the book294

PublisherVaasan yliopisto

Place of PublicationVaasa

Publication countryFinland

Publication languageEnglish

Persistent website addresshttps://vakki.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VAKKI2020_SuomivuoriVirtaluotoSuojanen_uusipdf.pdf

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessOpen Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/73734


Abstract

Minimalism is a user-centered, contextual and goal-oriented approach to technical communication originally developed by John M. Carroll (1990). In minimalism, the aim is to produce user documentation that
focuses on the user’s needs, helps the user recover from error situations, and strengthens the user’s skills
in working with the system (Carroll & van der Meij 1995: 245). The challenge with minimalism has been
its practical application: although user-centeredness – the core of minimalism – is the key issue in technical
communication, the abstract nature of the approach and its focus on software documentation has made it
difficult to apply in industry settings (Virtaluoto, Suojanen & Isohella 2018; Virtaluoto, Suojanen & Isohella, forthcoming). Consequently, there is very little evidence on the suitability of minimalism for software
documentation and no evidence at all for hardware documentation. In this article, we explore the application of minimalism to heavy industry machinery end-user instructions through a workshop with technical
communication professionals. In the workshop, the participants reviewed heavy industry machinery enduser instructions using a revised set of minimalism heuristics as a practical review tool (Virtaluoto, Suojanen & Isohella, forthcoming). The results show that the revised minimalism heuristics were applicable
to heavy industry machinery end-user instructions, but further development ideas were also suggested.


Keywordstechnical communicationmachineriesinstruction manualsminimalismuser-centerednessheuristic

Free keywordshardware documentation; heavy industry machinery end-user instructions; heuristic evaluation; minimalism; technical communication


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

Reporting Year2020

JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2024-25-03 at 13:31