by Dick Miller

I'm sure most readers are familiar with Rodney Dangerfieldís trademark comedy hook, "I don't get no respect!" which he follows by a series of humorous examples. Those who want to make the transition from technical writer to usability specialist may find themselves in a similar predicament, but the tales they tell are not quite so funny, especially to themselves.

In recent years, I've made this very same transition (and am still refining and building upon it). Let me share with you some advice gained while going through the process.

Be the Best Tech Writer You Can Be
Credibility is the basis for respect. If you don't have credibility as a professional with your suppliers, your customers, and the members of your organization, they'll probably have difficulty giving you credibility in another role. Volumes have been written on this subject; I won't go into any further detail here. However, I see it as a necessary precondition before making the transition we're discussing.

Prepare Yourself for the Transition
Discuss with your supervisor your vision of how you can add value to the organizationís work by providing this new service. Get it written into your development plan. Allocate time and money for development opportunities such as conferences and workshops, and be prepared to share what you've learned with your peers. Become more active in professional societies such as the STC Usability SIG, the Usability Professionals Association, ACM's SIGCHI, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Participate in discussions via mail lists and local meetings of professional society chapters.

Find Out What Your Customers Need
I support the engineers who create custom business applications for use at our plant site. Those engineers are my customers, and the people who work at this site are their customers. I investigated until I found what I could do that my customers would find beneficial, mostly because it would serve their own customers better. Once I had that information, I was on my way.

Provide Unexpected Added Value
When I have to document a new application, the developers provide me with a developmental pre-release version of the software so I can get needed screen shots used for illustrations in the User Guide. While I'm doing that, I provide to the software project leader information about functionality bugs and usability considerations that I notice as I work with the prototype. This gives them an opportunity to make significant improvements in the product before any customers see it, and while the cost of doing so is relatively low.

Move from Credibility to Visibility
As you become known for your usability contributions, try to get software project leaders to invite your participation on the team in early stages of the design process. From this vantage point, you can make suggestions about the design related to usability. Because of this early participation, your reputation as "the usability person" begins to spread through the grapevine.

I've also found that maintaining a Web page of resources on usability including seminars, workshops, conferences, and references has paid off by increasing the awareness of the people I work with that I have something to offer.

Show Them the Benefits
Nothing succeeds like success. By getting involved early in various projects, you have the opportunity to add value to the project. When you can point to the positive results of your usability efforts on a project, that makes it more likely that you'll be invited to participate in other situations.

You've Arrived, Sort Of
When you hear a customer say, "I remember that usability test you did with users of the XYZ system last year, and how it improved the quality and cut the deliverable schedule for the software. I've got a project that's not quite the same, but I think you might be able to help.", you know that your hard work has paid off. But don't quit now. Keep on finding ways to add value to projects and to let your peers know about it. You'll be rewarded by more interesting work and, if there's any justice in the world, appropriate compensation for the value you've added and the initiative you've shown.

Dick Miller has worked to help people understand and use complex systems for 35 years in a variety of positions in the public and private sectors and as an independent consultant. Currently he is at Hewlett-Packard in Vancouver, Wash., where he provides documentation and usability services for the Information Technology Department. He is a member of the Usability SIG, where he was the editor of their award-winning newsletter. In what free time he can find, he likes to play Dixieland trombone and tuba. Dick Miller can be reached at dick_miller@hp.com.