A few days ago, I posted some thoughts I was having about usability and maintainability. On the surface, they seemed to be two ideas that couldn’t exist together. As I’ve thought further on it, I’ve decided that there may be situations (such as an example I gave in the first post) where this is the case. But on the other hand, the two can go together quite comfortably.

I refreshed my memory on what constitutes usability by cracking open Gurak and Lannon’s A Concise Guide to Technical Communication, a book on tech writing basics that I used in college. (It’s good to return to the basics every once in a while.) Speaking of a technical communication product, they say that people will “use it only if they can find what they need, understand the language, follow the instructions, and read the graphics” (p. 31). Based on these criteria, I’m putting together a series that looks at the places that usability and maintainability not only meet, but also sit down and have a nice dinner together.

On a basic level, simplicity is the key. Users catch on to simple, you can maintain simple, and those who come after you to maintain your work can figure out simple.

We should design and write primarily with our users in mind, but if you work where usability and maintainability overlap, it’s okay to be a little selfish and write with ourselves as considerations, too. If you can create content that benefits both users and yourself, you’re that much closer to making everyone happy, and you’re adding value all around.

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