ODL Freshdesk
Solution-Making Guide
When making a
new solution in Freshdesk, there are a few guidelines to follow that will help
make all of our solutions have a consistent ODL feel. Please read and follow
the guidelines below whenever you make a new article.
1.
Find the right folder for the new article. We have separated solutions into four primary categories,
“ODL-General,” “Blackboard,” “Webex,” and “Digital Tools.” Blackboard and Webex
can hold solutions for those systems. Digital Tools will hold solutions for all
of the tools that we support in the DLL (e.g. Zotero, Accordance, Adobe,
VideoScribe, etc.). ODL-General can hold solutions that don’t fit in those
other categories. You will also see folders in each category. When you create a
new solution, do your best to organize it in an appropriate folder (or create a
new folder, if necessary).
2.
Keep the title simple and precise. It should reflect the heart of the article, but should also
have keywords so that people can find it if they are searching the entire
Knowledge Base.
3.
Combine information into one article if
applicable. We’ve found that it makes more sense to
have one article with a couple of different but very related guides than many
separate articles. (For example, it makes more sense to have one article for
scheduling a Webex meeting in the browser and desktop application than two
separate articles).
4.
If helpful, add a brief paragraph about
the topic before diving into steps. This can
frame the issue a bit and provide useful information. (For example, some
articles begin by stating what this solution is for and offering other articles
with links for related help. You may also want to clarify what you are assuming
they are using or have done already (e.g. using desktop app., Mac, etc.).
5.
Add a line when you break up the article. The line should be used to break up the article before and/or
after the section of steps. You should also use it if you are breaking the
article into two separate solutions (e.g. help if using a browser and help if
using the application). (Tip: Shift + Enter will help make a line if you're
having formatting issues)
6.
Add numbered steps, if applicable, and
space them out. There should be one line
space between steps, paragraphs, and images.
7.
Add screen captures. Add as many screen captures as you deem necessary. With a Mac,
these are easy (⌘Shift4). These are incredibly helpful for people as they walk
through the steps. When you add the image, also add a border to it. This cleans
up the look a bit. Feel free to resize the images to a reasonable size,
depending on the picture. There’s no need for it to cover the page. [Be
aware of potential FERPA violation (e.g. images with class names and
participant names).]
8.
Link to other ODL solutions or other sites
and underline all links. No need to reinvent the
wheel if a help solution has already been made, either by us or by someone
else. If using outside sources, just make sure they are reliable and
well-written. When adding a link, be sure to click “Open in new tab.” The link
text can be something like: “See this article for help
with unmuting yourself in Webex.” Finally, since the published article doesn’t
show links as blue, underline the link so that it is clearly visible to the
reader.
9.
Copy edit before publishing. Do a careful read-through of your article before
publishing it. We don’t want a million typos, and we do care about the
formatting!
10.
Give yourself a pat on the back. Thanks for helping us build up our Knowledge Base and make our
ticket system a bit more useful!