Situation
Tools are only helpful if users are able to find and user them. Period. The average AddThis Publisher was only using a single tool, while we knew that multiple tool usage was a direct correlator towards increased publisher satisfaction and data collection. As the AddThis toolset matured, it required both heavier developer documentation but also general help content directed towards publishers rather than developers.
Task
How might we create a better knowledge base experience that supported both the average simple publisher as well as a highly advanced developer. How might we use richer media to better explain complex stories and show the value in the tools publishers were paying for.
Action
Scope for this project was determined to be as light as possible, working with existing help assets to form a cohesively structured Academy. I spearheaded efforts to audit existing content, restructure or adjust the information architecture to better reflect the publisher intent, and create new articles to “plug” holes found in the content audit.
Result
While we saw no increase in tool adoption, we did see lower rates of problems associated with installing code, fewer calls to the service engineers, as well as shorter phone calls (as service engineers could reference existing content).
Below: Two views of the Academy, the first the first-time user which highlights code installation which drops away. The second is the Developer Tools section of the Academy.
