[TLDR] A recent study, "Listen to Your Users: The Effect of Usability Evaluation on Software Development Practice," by Marta Kristín Lárusdóttir, an Associate Professor at Reykjavik University, provides insights of value to tech writers into the impacts of usability evaluation methods on software development.

Related: A Systematic Review of Software Usability Studies

Software has slithered into every corner of our lives, quietly elbowing its way into our shopping carts, Netflix queues, and even the spreadsheets where Karen from accounting secretly plots world 🌍 domination.

It’s the invisible concierge of modern existence, fetching cat memes while scheduling your root canal. Try to avoid it, and you’ll find yourself in a standoff with a self-checkout machine that seems to know your darkest secrets but still insists you didn’t bag the kale.

Widespread reliance on software apps makes usability critical. Tech writers are essential in creating clear, user-friendly documentation that reduces frustration and enhances usability satisfaction with software products.

What Is Usability?

"The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use."

Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11, Ergonomics of human-system interaction—Part 11, Guidance on usability

Why Evaluating Usability Matters

Usability evaluation is like watching someone try to fold a fitted bed sheet—it reveals how well (or catastrophically) people interact with a system.

When system design leaves users bewildered, tech writers are saddled with the fallout, scrambling to cover up the cracks with explanations that shouldn't have been necessary to create in the first place.

Related: The 10 Most Common Reasons For Poor Usability

Software Usability Lessons Learned

Usability Testing Gold Standard: The Think-Aloud Method

The Think-Aloud method is the gold standard for usability testing. It’s like eavesdropping on someone's inner dialogue while they navigate your software—only they know you're listening, and they're kind enough to talk out loud so you can hear their thoughts.

This technique helps evaluate usability by having users discuss their thoughts, decisions, and frustrations as they interact with a product or system. Their real-time narration shows you what they find easy, confusing, or difficult to use. Watching actual users struggle, triumph, or groan through real-world tasks uncovers challenges you might not otherwise notice.

Why Heuristic Evaluations Alone Are Insufficient

While helpful, heuristic evaluations can't compete with the raw, unfiltered honesty of a real-world user saying, "Wait, WTF am I supposed to click?"

Heuristic evaluations and the Think-Aloud method are like two very different dinner guests at a usability testing party.

The heuristics expert arrives early, armed with a checklist and a knowing smirk, pointing out all the theoretical flaws in the seating chart before anyone arrives. Meanwhile, the Think-Aloud participant strolls in fashionably late, sits down, and narrates their dinner experience in real time—“Why is the soup cold?” or “I can’t figure out which fork to use.”

Related: 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design

Diverse Evaluation Methods Yield Richer Usability Insights

Mixing usability evaluation methods is like combining ingredients in a recipe—you get more flavor and texture.

Heuristic evaluations are fast, efficient, and perfect for catching broad issues early on. The Think-Aloud method, on the other hand, takes more effort but reveals what goes wrong when the guests (or users) interact with the product. Together, they make a well-rounded pair, offering the expert’s foresight and the user’s experience to create a more usable product.

Heuristic evaluations establish the structure, while incorporating real-world observations provide you the messy, juicy details. Together, they tell the full story of how users actually engage with a system.

For tech writers, this means you can predict the wild variety of ways people will tackle a task and create docs that speak to everyone, from the fearless power-user blazing through menus to the newbie poking buttons as if they might explode.

Tech Writers Should Prioritize Updates To Documentation That Align With High-Impact Usability Fixes

Tech writers should consider making updates to their documentation that align with high-impact usability fixes. Think of it as triaging a dinner party gone wrong—you deal with the kitchen fire before worrying about the slightly overcooked green beans.

This means playing the alignment game—focusing on updates that tackle the usability quirks most likely to trip users up. The goal? Craft content that explains and hands users the tools to succeed, even when the system isn’t optimized to work as easily as it might otherwise.

This gap between “it works” and “it works for humans” is where usability experts, designers, and yes, technical writers, swoop in to save the day. But until usability as a priority gets a permanent seat at the development table, the effort to make software truly user-friendly will remain the odd one out, quietly waiting for its turn to shine.

High-impact fixes address the parts of a system where users are most likely to stumble, curse, and possibly throw their smart phone across the room. Updating the documentation to match these fixes saves users from unnecessary agony and makes you look like the hero who actually understands their plight.

Plus, it’s a smart way for you to work. Why should you spend hours perfecting instructions for obscure features no one uses when you could tackle the big stuff everyone complains about? It’s like choosing to patch the roof instead of rearranging the furniture while rain pours in.

And let’s be honest: when you align your updates with what developers are fixing, you’re not just helping users—you’re making the whole team look good. Who doesn’t love a little mutual back-patting?

Why Don’t Software Devs Focus On Usability, Anyway?

The study didn't just lift the curtain on software developers and usability—it exposed a truth we all know, but don't love to admit:

Developers, no matter how much they appreciate usability data, are stuck in the land of tight deadlines and impossible to-do lists. They can't fix everything, so they cherry-pick the disasters that scream the loudest.

Software developers don’t focus on usability as much as you’d think because deadlines, feature requests, bug fixes, and management’s insistence on adding “just one more thing” tend to push usability into the corner like the kid no one wants on their dodgeball team.

It’s not that they don’t care; it’s just that “Does this button make sense?” tends to lose out when “Does the app crash?” is still on the table.

And, let’s not forget the classic “developer goggles” syndrome. Developers know how the system works because they built it, so they assume users will magically understand it, too. Add a sprinkle of budget constraints and a dash of “ship it now, fix it later,” and you’ve got a recipe for a product that sometimes feels like it actively dislikes its users.

Tech Writers: Don’t Let Usability Take The Back Seat

As much as you’d like to think perfect software falls from the sky, it’s a team sport, and technical writers are on the front lines. When usability takes a back seat, you’re explaining away the quirks, translating chaos into clarity, and ensuring users don’t toss their laptops out the nearest window. But imagine a world where usability isn’t an afterthought. Imagine if technical writers, developers, and designers worked together from the start to create systems that don’t just work—but work beautifully.

It’s not just a dream; it’s a goal worth striving for. In the end, making technology accessible and delightful isn’t just good for users—it’s good for all. So let’s stop patching over cracks and start building bridges.

Who’s in?

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Personalizing Technical Documentation Experiences

🗓️ December 5, 2024 (rescheduled from November 21, 2024)

Kevin Nichols, The Personalization Wrangler, chats with Patrick Bosek, CEO and co-founder of Heretto, about the transformative power of individualized technical documentation experiences. They will discuss how leveraging componentized, semantically rich, intelligent content powers personalization. Learn about role-based access control, preference-based personalization, and permission-based strategies, and gain actionable takeaways.

Content Personalization: 2024 and Beyond

🗓️ December 10, 2024

Kevin Nichols will examine current trends in content production and delivery and assess the impact that AI and other tech advances will have on personalized experiences. Nichols will share insights from a 2024 survey conducted by his firm, AvenueCX (in partnership with The Content Wrangler) and provide a curated overview of the guidance provided by major technology business analysts.

Why “Good Enough” Content Is No Longer Good Enough

🗓️ December 12, 2024

Global content strategy maven Val Swisher will explore how to turn your content into a valuable AI asset, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful curation for effective AI training. She’ll share practical tips for evaluating, cleaning, and organizing content to ensure it’s accurate, relevant, and diverse for AI use.

Putting DITA To Work In The Nuclear Energy Sector

🗓️ January 09, 2024

Explore how the Darwin Information Typing Architecture’s modular content approach is enhancing safety and operational efficiency in the nuclear energy sector with insights from Manfred Hammers of Rivtec, Inc. You’ll learn DITA basics, its role in managing highly regulated documentation, and how it addresses unique nuclear industry challenges by improving content flexibility, safety measures, and cost-effectiveness.

Discovering the Basics of DITA with LearningDITA

🗓️ January 09, 2025

Join Sarah O'Keefe for "Discovering the Basics of DITA with LearningDITA" a free webinar tailored for technical writers who want to learn how to create content in accordance with the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). Attendees will be introduced to the "LearningDITA" — a free, self-paced, online DITA training course.

Love Your Curmudgeon: Embracing Your Least Likely Partner In Transformation

🗓️ January 21, 2025

Amber Swope from DITA Strategies and Dan Schommer from Intuitive Stack will explore the surprising benefits of having a "workplace curmudgeon" and reveal what drives them. You'll walk away with practical strategies for engaging these team members and turning their resistance into valuable contributions.

The Content Wrangler is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Heretto’s 2024 report, "From Unsung to Unstoppable: How Technical Writers are Driving the Self-Service Revolution," highlights how technical writers drive the customer self-service movement. The report shows how technical communication is becoming essential for boosting business results, keeping customers happy, and helping organizations succeed.

Key Insights:

1. Changing Landscape: Previously undervalued technical content is considered essential for business success. The report stresses that customer self-service, driven by technical documentation, reshapes industries.

2. Impact on Customer Retention and Career Opportunities: Survey findings reveal that online documentation is heavily utilized when available, significantly impacting customer retention. Many respondents see technical writers’ contributions to self-service initiatives as beneficial to career growth, with 45% believing it can lead to upward mobility.

3. Leadership Support: The report mentions that 90% of leadership supports self-service initiatives, which provide technical writers with a unique opportunity to align their work with business goals and increase visibility.

4. Future Investments: Organizations are committing to further investments in self-service, focusing on technology, content creation, and analytics. This suggests the need for technical writers to evolve their skills, particularly in content strategy, user experience design, and cross-functional collaboration.

5. Recommendations for Technical Writers: The report advises technical writers to:

   • Embrace strategic roles

   • Focus on measurable outcomes like customer retention

   • Collaborate across departments

   • Advocate for recognition

   • Invest in continuous learning and adopt a customer-centric mindset

Request the Report

The Content Wrangler is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ever wonder why that 3 p.m. meeting feels like mental quicksand?

Spoiler alert: It’s not just the coffee wearing off—it’s your brain’s way of saying, “I’m out of juice, and you’re asking for a miracle.”

If you’re still scheduling your day like every hour of brainpower is created equal, it’s time for a reality check: Your brain has peak performance times, and your calendar isn’t aware of that.

The Brain's Daily Energy Rollercoaster

Neuroscience has taught us that our cognitive energy is far from constant. Research has shown that the brain's ability to handle complex tasks varies throughout the day, influenced by circadian rhythms and mental fatigue.

Researchers say cognitive performance generally peaks in the mid-morning, declines after lunch, and may experience a secondary, smaller peak in the early evening. This is because our cognitive resources get depleted with each mentally demanding task, a concept referred to as decision fatigue. When we’re low on mental energy, even simple decisions become hard, and complex tasks can feel downright impossible.

For tech writers, whose job demands clear thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, understanding the relationship between brain energy and task performance is crucial.

Pushing through a difficult writing or editing task when energy levels are at their lowest is not just a frustrating experience; it’s a recipe for burnout and subpar work. Unfortunately, many documentation managers overlook this, defaulting to “filling the empty spots on the calendar” as the primary scheduling strategy.

Carla's Story: A Documentation Manager’s Wake-Up Call

Meet Carla, a documentation manager at a mid-sized software company. She was known for her efficient work style, setting up meetings and project milestones with clockwork precision. When she noticed her team’s productivity was dipping and error rates were creeping up, she started digging deeper. What was going wrong?

After chatting with team members, Carla discovered a pattern: people were struggling to complete tasks after attending back-to-back meetings in the early afternoon. The time slots for focused work were filled arbitrarily based on calendar availability, with no consideration for the energy demands of each task. Carla was scheduling tasks and meetings as though all hours were equally productive. She quickly realized that by ignoring the natural ebb and flow of the brain's energy levels, she was making it less likely her team would succeed.

The Science Behind Scheduling Smartly

Neuroscientific research supports Carla’s realization. The phenomenon of decision fatigue explains why mental energy wanes after sustained periods of concentration. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that judges were more likely to grant parole earlier in the day when their cognitive resources were fresher, underscoring how decision-making quality declines with mental fatigue.

Additionally, a study by the University of California, San Diego, discovered that the brain’s energy consumption varies depending on the nature of the task. Cognitive tasks that require a lot of focus and working memory deplete energy more quickly, suggesting that mentally demanding work should be tackled during peak cognitive times, such as late morning. By contrast, routine tasks can be performed during low-energy periods without significantly affecting quality.

Implications for Tech Writers and Documentation Teams

The implications are clear: documentation teams need to schedule their work around the brain's natural energy rhythms. For tech writers, this means:

1. Scheduling Writing and Editing During Peak Hours: The most cognitively demanding tasks, like drafting new content or revising complex documentation, should be scheduled in the late morning when cognitive energy is highest.

2. Avoiding Meetings in Low-Energy Times: Early afternoon meetings should be limited to routine updates or status checks rather than intense brainstorming sessions or decision-making.

3. Using Low-Energy Periods for Administrative Tasks: Routine, less demanding tasks, such as organizing files, formatting documents, or handling simple queries, can be reserved for times when the brain’s cognitive power is naturally lower.

Educating Others on Smarter Scheduling

Carla decided to educate her team and stakeholders about the science of brain energy and productivity. She started by sharing articles on cognitive energy management, including key studies that highlighted how performance dips at certain times of the day. She then led a team workshop to discuss the practical application of this research, using real-life examples to drive home the importance of optimizing schedules based on cognitive energy.

She suggested using color-coded calendars to indicate peak cognitive hours for each team member, encouraging individuals to block off those times for deep work. Additionally, she implemented a policy that limited meetings during critical hours reserved for focused work. Instead of scheduling based on “what’s free,” Carla encouraged her team to think about “what’s smart.”

How Some Companies Are Addressing This Challenge

Microsoft, Asana, and Shopify are among the companies exploring the connection between brain energy and effective meeting scheduling. Microsoft, for example, discovered that back-to-back meetings can raise stress levels and reduce productivity. To address this, they recommend building in breaks between meetings, giving employees time to recharge and improve focus, which ultimately supports better decision-making and cognitive health.

Asana has introduced "No-Meeting Wednesdays" to give employees a full day each week dedicated to focused work. This acknowledges the value of uninterrupted time for maintaining high mental performance. Similarly, Shopify rolled out a tool in 2023 that helps employees estimate the cost of time spent in meetings, encouraging them to consider whether a meeting is truly needed. These initiatives show a growing awareness that strategic scheduling, which aligns with natural cognitive rhythms, can boost productivity and well-being.

Overcoming the Challenge of Cognitive Scheduling

To tackle this challenge effectively, consider these practical strategies:

1. Implement Flexible Scheduling Policies: Allow employees to schedule tasks based on their personal peak cognitive times. Encourage the use of tools like time-blocking and calendar apps that help manage tasks around energy levels.

2. Educate Teams About Decision Fatigue: Awareness is half the battle. Share insights on how cognitive energy works and the impact of decision fatigue. Make it a standard practice to consider cognitive rhythms when planning tasks and meetings.

3. Designate Meeting-Free Blocks: Establish company-wide meeting-free times, such as late mornings, to protect peak cognitive periods. This can help ensure that critical work is completed during optimal brainpower times.

4. Encourage Rest and Breaks: Incorporate short breaks into the daily routine, especially after demanding tasks, to replenish cognitive energy. Promoting downtime can prevent burnout and keep mental resources replenished.

5. Start Small and Iterate: Even incremental changes, such as shifting a few meetings or adjusting daily routines, can have a noticeable impact on productivity. Use these changes as a pilot, collect feedback, and fine-tune your approach over time.

Carla’s story serves as a reminder that productivity isn’t just about fitting as many tasks as possible into a day—it’s about understanding when our brains are best equipped to handle different types of work.

By leveraging the science of cognitive energy, tech writers can improve the quality of their output, reduce errors, and prevent burnout. It’s time to stop letting the calendar dictate productivity and start letting our brains lead the way.

So the next time you’re tempted to squeeze in that 3 p.m. meeting, remember: your brain has already given you the answer—it just doesn’t have the energy to say it out loud. 🤣