Technical Translation: Usability Strategies for Translating Technical Documentation

Examples of Principles 
Before we begin discussing concrete strategies for improving the usability of 
our interface, i.e. software user guides, we should first identify the pre-
dominant principles of interface design and usability derived from studies 
on technical communication, cognitive psychology and interface design as 
described in previous chapters. 
In what he terms the “
Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design
”, Schnei-
derman (1998:74-75) sets out a series of principles which play an important 
role in designing usable, user-friendly and effective interfaces. While there 
are numerous aspects of interface design that can be drawn upon in inter-
face design, these rules serve as a concise and general overview of the areas 
that need attention: 
Strive for consistency, use similar prompts, commands, fonts, layout, 
situations, instructions etc. 
Enable frequent users to use shortcuts 
Offer informative feedback 
Organise sequences of actions so that they have a start, middle and end. 
Offer error prevention and simple error handling 
Permit easy reversal of actions 
Support the internal locus of control, this allows users to feel in charge of 
the computer and not vice versa. 
Reduce short-term memory load 
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Usability Engineering 
It is apparent that the principles set out by leading figures in interface design 
such as Schneiderman share more than a few similarities with those pro-
duced for documentation design. Dumas & Redish (1999:61) explain that 
this similarity is due to the fact that the principles for both are based on cre-
ating products that are usable. 
Due to the ubiquity of evaluation throughout the development and pro-
duction process numerous evaluation criteria can also be used as design 
principles. One such set of criteria was developed by Nielsen (Molich & 
Nielsen 1990). His 
heuristic
evaluation method was developed as a cheap 
evaluation tool for companies who “couldn’t afford or hadn’t the resources 
for empirical usability testing” (Hill 1995:119). Heuristics are general design 
principles that are usually, but not always, effective (Landauer 1995:283). 
The following paraphrased list of Nielsen’s heuristics represents what are 
widely acknowledged to be best practice for ensuring usability. 
Use simple and natural language. 
Say only what is necessary. 
Present the information in a logical way. 
Speak the users’ language - use familiar words and concepts. 
Minimise users’ memory load. 
Be consistent. 
Provide feedback and tell users what is happening. 
Provide clearly marked exits to allow users escape from unintended or 
unwanted situations. 
Provide shortcuts for frequent actions and users. 
Provide clear, specific error messages. 
Where possible, prevent errors by limiting the number of available op-
tions or choices. 
Provide clear, complete help, instructions and documentation. 
These principles are widely cited by other sources such as Landauer 
(1995:283), Hill (1995:119-120) and Dumas & Redish (1999:65). 
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Implementing Usability Measures