ABSTRACT
As content management systems and structured authoring usher in changes in workflow and strategy for technical communicators, attention to usability and usefulness become more important. This chapter offers a brief overview of usability studies and user experience (UX) design’s interconnected history with technical communication and provides assignments for integrating usability into courses. We frame the usability researcher as bricoleur, a professional who adapts a collection of tools and methods to advocate for stakeholders and solve complex usability challenges. The chapter concludes with four elements we believe are key for any courses/curricula incorporating usability/UX research and design, especially those that integrate content management systems and structured authoring.
