Designing online help systems for reflective users

Empirical studies have revealed that most users are dissatisfied with current help systems. One of the causes for many of the problems found in help systems is a lack of coupling between the process for creating online help and the human-computer interaction design of the application. In this paper, we present a method for building online help based on design models according to a Semiotic Engineering approach. We argue that there may be important benefits to the users if designers communicate their design vision, and we also point at the need to change current design practices to encourage cr...