Contextual Help Design
Design help systems and support patterns that work for people with cognitive disabilities. Use when designing help content, tooltips, onboarding, FAQs, support flows, documentation, or any context where users need guidance. Triggers on: help, support, FAQ, tooltip, onboarding, tutorial, guidance, stuck, confused, documentation, instructions.
Install
$ agentstack add skill-owl-listener-inclusive-design-skills-adaptive-personalisation ✓ scanned · ✓ verified — works with Claude Code, Cursor, and more.
Security review
✓ PassedNo issues found. Passed automated security review. · v0.1.0 How review works →
- ✓ Prompt-injection patterns
- ✓ Secret / credential exfiltration
- ✓ Dangerous shell & filesystem operations
- ✓ Untrusted network calls
- ✓ Known-malicious package signatures
What it can access
- ✓ Network access No
- ✓ Filesystem access No
- ✓ Shell / process execution No
- ✓ Environment & secrets No
- ✓ Dynamic code execution No
From automated source analysis of v0.1.0. “Used” means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it’s unsafe.
About
Contextual Help Design
Design help that meets people where they are — on the screen they're stuck on, in language they understand, without requiring them to remember how they got there.
Core Principle
If a user gets stuck, they should be able to get help without leaving the screen they're on.
Design Patterns
Inline Help
- Tooltip or info icon next to fields that need explanation
- Examples shown next to input fields ("e.g., 15/03/2026")
- Help text visible by default for complex fields
- Inline definitions for specialist terms (underline + tooltip)
- "What's this?" links for uncommon concepts
Guided Tasks
- Step-by-step wizard as an alternative to complex forms
- Examples of completed tasks (filled-in sample forms)
- Templates or pre-built options alongside "start from scratch"
- Progress-aware hints that change based on where the user is
Escalation Path
- Self-service help (search, FAQ) as first option
- Chat or messaging as second option
- Phone or video as third option
- Never require users to re-explain when escalating between channels
- Show estimated wait times for human support
- Never require a reference number to get help
Error Recovery Support
- Error messages include: what happened + why + what to do next
- Link directly to the field or step that needs fixing
- Offer alternative paths when primary fails
- For complex errors: offer human support directly
Help Content Rules
- Write at grade 4–6 reading level
- Use the same terminology as the interface (not different words)
- One instruction per step
- Include images or diagrams for spatial or procedural instructions
- Make help searchable
- Test help content with people who have the actual problem
Assessment Questions
- Can users get help without navigating away from their task?
- Is help written in plain language that matches the interface?
- Can users reach a human within 2 clicks when self-service fails?
- Do help resources exist for the moments where users actually get stuck
(not just the moments you anticipated)?
Source & license
This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.
- Author: Owl-Listener
- Source: Owl-Listener/inclusive-design-skills
- License: MIT
Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.
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Versions
- v0.1.0 Imported from the upstream source.