Technology is only useful if people understand how to use it. At MetaSolutions, Sofia Bryntse works on creating user manuals for the EntryScape platform – a job that requires structure, pedagogical skills and the ability to see technology from the user’s perspective.
Making the complicated easy to understand is a strength that has served Sofia Bryntse well throughout her life. She has been responsible for user documentation at MetaSolutions for just over a year. By creating clear and easy-to-understand manuals, she makes EntryScape, a platform for structuring and sharing open data, accessible to users with different backgrounds and levels of knowledge.
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Sofia Bryntses’ first job in the late 90s was to travel to schools and teach students and middle school teachers how to chat. The Internet was still quite new and many had barely sat in front of a computer, let alone visited a web chat.
– It’s almost hard to imagine today, Sofia says with a laugh.
– In the beginning, the children shouted at each other every time they sent a message, but as they learned, there was less shouting between the students, and by the end of the lesson, the only sound in the computer room was the tapping from the keyboards. It was great to see how quickly they picked up the technology.
After graduating with a degree in systems science, Sofia worked for several years as a university lecturer in systems science and geographic information systems. The experience of seeing what students get stuck on and find difficult is very useful when writing user manuals.
Seeing the product through the user’s eyes
One of Sofia Bryntses’ strengths is her ability to understand how users perceive the system.
– I see the product as the users see it, from the outside, not as a programmer. This is an advantage because I can see things that a developer doesn’t always think about, she explains.
Her work process often starts with her using EntryScape in the same way a customer would. By creating her own data sets, she tests the features and familiarizes herself with the problems she encounters and the problems she predicts a user might encounter.
To make the instructions extra clear, Sofia uses screen shots with concrete examples.
– It becomes simple and intuitive when you can see how things are supposed to look on the screen. Visual support is a shortcut to understanding, she says, explaining that a manual should not contain overly complicated language, while also avoiding being overly instructive or patronizing to the user.
Should be simple and obvious to users
Writing manuals for a platform like EntryScape requires a different approach than writing manuals for products like a coffee maker or a sewing machine. EntryScape is based on concepts that may be completely new to some users, while offering many valuable features.
– The key is to find the right balance of language. For those who are completely new to EntryScape, it needs to feel simple and obvious, but we also need to make sure that more technically advanced users can get the detailed information they are looking for.
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Sometimes Sofia Bryntse discovers things that can be simplified in the interface, the part of EntryScape that the user sees on the screen. When this happens, she brings it to the attention of the developers, who make changes that improve the user experience.
– It feels good to be able to work preventatively. In the best case scenario, you don’t even need to read the manual because the system is so easy to use.
The satisfaction of making a difference
For Sofia Bryntse, it is important to work in an organization that contributes to something bigger. MetaSolutions’ commitment to making open data more accessible and contributing to society is one of the main reasons she enjoys her role so much.
– It feels meaningful to be part of something that makes a difference. It feels good to know that our work is helping organizations become more transparent, giving citizens greater insight and the ability to make informed decisions. Open data also creates opportunities for innovation and collaboration between different actors, which in the long run strengthens both societal functions and democracy, she says, continuing.
– There is also a very nice team at MetaSolutions, with a good atmosphere and a culture that promotes a good work-life balance. It feels good to work in a place where you can both grow and feel good. And I have a good boss, which is important.
