If you write content that is not needed, you make it harder for people to do a task. It also costs time and money.

Only tell users what they need to know

To create content that is useful and easy to understand, you need to:

1. Write the minimum amount of content users need to do a task.
2. Test the content with actual or potential users.
3. Make improvements based on user feedback.

This helps you:

• keep content specific to the task
• check if users understand your content
• get evidence of what content is missing

Work with a user researcher

When you have written some content, it can be hard to show it to users without adding your own opinions.

Ask a user researcher to test your content with users. User researchers are familiar with research processes and ethics in Defence. Make sure you observe the research sessions.

If your team does not have a user researcher, ask the UCD community for advice.

Related guidance

• Content design: planning, writing and managing content
• Writing user stories