Mobile documentation: Usability guidelines, and considerations for providing documentation on Kindle, tablets, and smartphones

With the growth of mobile devices outpacing that of desktop systems in 2011[1], mobile devices are the new PC. For example, as of July, 2011, 93% of U.S. consumers own mobile phones, 38% use smartphones, and a half-million Android devices are being activated every day worldwide [2, 3, 4]. The proliferation of applications for mobile devices means that users increasingly turn to smartphones and tablets to access products and services. They are also increasingly using mobile e-readers to read books. The New York Times Best Sellers list now includes e-books, and Amazon.com recently reported that it sells more e-books than hardcover and paperback combined [5]. In spite of these trends, usability for mobile applications lags far behind desktop systems, and the mobile user experience is often difficult and disappointing [6]. To alleviate this, mobile developers can take advantage of emerging mobile usability standards to increase user satisfaction. However, for technical communicators who provide mobile user assistance, there is comparatively little research on documentation for smartphones and tablets. This paper summarizes emerging mobile usability trends and suggests best practices for developing user assistance for mobile devices. It also shows how Oracle's Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Information Development department delivered mobile documentation in online libraries. It concludes by suggesting a method for providing usable, single-sourced documentation files that can be read on e-readers as well as tablets, such as iPad and Xoom, and smartphones, such as iPhone and Android.