When you're starting or running a company, how do you choose technology? The prevailing advice du jour is something along the lines of "use the best tool for the job." This is obviously right, but it is also devoid of meaning in an unfortunate way that lets people define "best" and "job" as myopically as they like.
Be lazy. Learn to survive with less. Stop making cuts (and start building revenue). Put in the time and effort to do as little as possible to get the job done. Bernard will share tips and tricks to do less and deliver more. Reduce content. Improve meeting value. Increase quality. Get other people to do the work for you. See how. Examples of each core idea are provided.
UX, ethnography and possibilities: for Libraries, Museums and ArchivesNed Potter
These slides are adapted from a talk I gave at the Welsh Government's Marketing Awards for the LAM sector, in 2017.
It offers a primer on UX - User Experience - and how ethnography and design might be used in the library, archive and museum worlds to better understand our users. All good marketing starts with audience insight.
The presentation covers the following:
1) An introduction to UX
2) Ethnography, with definitions and examples of 7 ethnographic techniques
3) User-centred design and Design Thinking
4) Examples of UX-led changes made at institutions in the UK and Scandinavia
5) Next Steps - if you'd like to try out UX at your own organisation
Having multiple opt-ins on your site increases your email list. But which should you choose? Browse through these 21 different options and pick the one that makes the most sense for your business.
When you're starting or running a company, how do you choose technology? The prevailing advice du jour is something along the lines of "use the best tool for the job." This is obviously right, but it is also devoid of meaning in an unfortunate way that lets people define "best" and "job" as myopically as they like.
Be lazy. Learn to survive with less. Stop making cuts (and start building revenue). Put in the time and effort to do as little as possible to get the job done. Bernard will share tips and tricks to do less and deliver more. Reduce content. Improve meeting value. Increase quality. Get other people to do the work for you. See how. Examples of each core idea are provided.
UX, ethnography and possibilities: for Libraries, Museums and ArchivesNed Potter
These slides are adapted from a talk I gave at the Welsh Government's Marketing Awards for the LAM sector, in 2017.
It offers a primer on UX - User Experience - and how ethnography and design might be used in the library, archive and museum worlds to better understand our users. All good marketing starts with audience insight.
The presentation covers the following:
1) An introduction to UX
2) Ethnography, with definitions and examples of 7 ethnographic techniques
3) User-centred design and Design Thinking
4) Examples of UX-led changes made at institutions in the UK and Scandinavia
5) Next Steps - if you'd like to try out UX at your own organisation
Having multiple opt-ins on your site increases your email list. But which should you choose? Browse through these 21 different options and pick the one that makes the most sense for your business.
Ideal slides (and live presentation) if you are looking to:
Develop video for use online:
Find out how to create and upload video to help users "get the picture." Get people to like your product and then buy it, which makes you money.
Create better content in Word: Find out how to best use styles to effectively manage content within your portfolio.
Reduce the amount to time spent manually adjusting content over and over and over and over again. That saves time. Time is money. Save money.
Share and collaborate with others:
Find out how to use the cloud to work together and increase productivity. Fewer back and forth conversations makes it faster to get to market. That saves money. And it makes money.
Publish content to the most popular formats: Find out how to convert your content to online formats with minimal effort, for maximum result.Single source publishing to multiple channels means spending less money, earning more money, and a smarter investment of money.
See and do. That's a powerful combination. During the lecture and demo, we showed you the benefits of the tools and processes, and now you can review all the slides in detail!
Slides from talk given in CS547: http://hci.stanford.edu/courses/cs547/speaker.php?date=2011-10-14
The proliferation of tracking techniques & methods today reminds me of reports of the Homebrew Computer Club, which began meeting in Menlo Park in 1975. The current state of the QSelf field seems analogous to the early stage of personal computers, before the incredible potential of the technology was liberated by progress in interface design.
This ebook compiles awesome outtakes from SXSW2015. Written by @Briansolis and illustrated by @gapingvoid, it captures why you should be very sorry you failed to get to Austin this year:)
This is another in our series of ebooks that can make your ideas come alive.
Storytelling & The Human Form (UX Intensive for MySkills4Afrika)Cheryl Platz
Day 2 of a 4-day design intensive curriculum I created and taught at the iHub in Nairobi, Kenya as part of Microsoft's MySkills4Afrika program.
This deck focuses on designing for the human form (including an introduction to all forms of natural user interface), elements of Microsoft's Scenario Focused Engineering process, and tips on using storytelling techniques like storyboarding to improve the humanistic focus of your design process.
WORKSHOP: Making the World Easier with Interaction DesignCheryl Platz
An updated version of an Intro to Interaction Design workshop I've taught intermittently since 2012. Intended age level is middle to high school age students, but is also appropriate for adults curious about the field.
The first portion (excluding the optional heuristic review) can be taught, though tight, in approximately 90 minutes. With the optional second portion, allocate a minimum of 2 hours. More time allows for better discussion and perhaps expansion of the sketching into some flows. See the back of the deck for additional instructor notes.
Recommended materials:
Printer paper (~5 sheets per student minimum)
Pencils and erasers
I have delivered this workshop to over 500 students:
Amazon GirlsWhoCode Camp - 2015
Microsoft DigiGirlz Camp (Redmond) - 2012, 2013, 2014
UW's Dawgbytes Camp - 2012
For a blog post about the pilot sessions in 2012, as well as some examples from student sketches, see http://blog.cherylplatz.com/?p=181
To inquire about booking me to teach this workshop in your environment, email cheryl@cherylplatz.com.
This is my presentation from the panel "Innovators, Early Adopters, and the Rest of Us--Getting the Most from Your Library's Technology" at the Texas Library Association Annual Meeting, 2010. I shared the stage with Stephen Abram and John Blyberg and we had a great time!
Make things people want verses make people want things. Technology and the minutia of bullshit that proclaims to promote it get's uncovered and tortured by Steve Price, along with some examples of great things.
This is a short powerpoint deck I wrote on how to write powerpoint decks. My staff had a wide range of experience in presenting and the results were often disastrous. This is a simple baseline briefing about guidelines for creating powerpoint presentations. Or not.
Write less. Write better. It’s not just about doing away with words, but instead, improving the user experience by presenting the right information, at the right time, in the right format, to the right audience, and allowing them to make the right decision to stop reading content and start doing what they need to do. From search tools to airlines to the use of clear images, tables, or words, the goal of this session is to help you understand the right things to do to spend less time writing, and more time helping your company, your clients, and your readers reduce headaches and increase profits. See samples, join the discussion, and keep your words to a minimum.
Get things done : pragmatic project managementStan Carrico
Bitovi summer training camp presentation on communication and project / task management.
Roleplay dialog:
Version 1 (not the best)
PM : How is this new chart progressing? You have been working on it for two weeks and it needs to be complete by end of week.
Dev round A:
I'm working as fast as I can! I'm trying to get it done by the end of the week.
PM : Well, I'll check in with you again in a few hours.
Dev round A : I need more time than that, why don't you give me a day and then try me again?
PM : I need this to be done by Friday and it's already Thursday. How much longer do you need?
Dev round A : I don't know, but longer than a few hours..
__ Version 2 (better)
PM : How is this new chart progressing? You have been working on it for two weeks and it needs to be complete by end of week.
Dev round B : The chart consists of the plot, the axes and the css styles we're applying from the design mockup. I have completed the plot, and I estimate that the axis and applying styles will each take about 6 hours to complete. The plot took me longer than I expected. I think we should plan to demo the full chart on Monday.
PM : Can you update me when the axis and styles are done?
Dev round B : Sure. Does the business need to give us feedback on the plot, axis or styles? We can demo the plot now, the axis will be ready in the morning, and the styles will be applied and ready to demo on Monday morning.
PM : No, I think we need the complete product. I'll verify the don't need to give feedback on the pieces.
Dev round B : Ok, I'll send you a note when they are finished tomorrow evening, or I will update you before that if I run into any blockers.
References
The Pragmatic Programmer 1999 By Andrew Hunt and Dave Thomas
Team Geek 2012 By Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman
Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design 2006 By Brett McLaughlin, Gary Pollice, David West
The Agile Samurai 2014 Jonathan Rasmusson
Behind Closed Doors 2014 By Johanna Rothman, Esther Derby.
User Experience Webinar 1 - Eye-popping Content: Creating a User-friendly Fra...springshare
You’ve got it all – databases, articles, videos, books, recommended links. So how do you package it in a way that not only satisfies your users’ information needs but encourages browsing? Learn practical techniques and ideas for building a user-friendly and contextual framework for the web while using the resources at your fingertips.
Ideal slides (and live presentation) if you are looking to:
Develop video for use online:
Find out how to create and upload video to help users "get the picture." Get people to like your product and then buy it, which makes you money.
Create better content in Word: Find out how to best use styles to effectively manage content within your portfolio.
Reduce the amount to time spent manually adjusting content over and over and over and over again. That saves time. Time is money. Save money.
Share and collaborate with others:
Find out how to use the cloud to work together and increase productivity. Fewer back and forth conversations makes it faster to get to market. That saves money. And it makes money.
Publish content to the most popular formats: Find out how to convert your content to online formats with minimal effort, for maximum result.Single source publishing to multiple channels means spending less money, earning more money, and a smarter investment of money.
See and do. That's a powerful combination. During the lecture and demo, we showed you the benefits of the tools and processes, and now you can review all the slides in detail!
Slides from talk given in CS547: http://hci.stanford.edu/courses/cs547/speaker.php?date=2011-10-14
The proliferation of tracking techniques & methods today reminds me of reports of the Homebrew Computer Club, which began meeting in Menlo Park in 1975. The current state of the QSelf field seems analogous to the early stage of personal computers, before the incredible potential of the technology was liberated by progress in interface design.
This ebook compiles awesome outtakes from SXSW2015. Written by @Briansolis and illustrated by @gapingvoid, it captures why you should be very sorry you failed to get to Austin this year:)
This is another in our series of ebooks that can make your ideas come alive.
Storytelling & The Human Form (UX Intensive for MySkills4Afrika)Cheryl Platz
Day 2 of a 4-day design intensive curriculum I created and taught at the iHub in Nairobi, Kenya as part of Microsoft's MySkills4Afrika program.
This deck focuses on designing for the human form (including an introduction to all forms of natural user interface), elements of Microsoft's Scenario Focused Engineering process, and tips on using storytelling techniques like storyboarding to improve the humanistic focus of your design process.
WORKSHOP: Making the World Easier with Interaction DesignCheryl Platz
An updated version of an Intro to Interaction Design workshop I've taught intermittently since 2012. Intended age level is middle to high school age students, but is also appropriate for adults curious about the field.
The first portion (excluding the optional heuristic review) can be taught, though tight, in approximately 90 minutes. With the optional second portion, allocate a minimum of 2 hours. More time allows for better discussion and perhaps expansion of the sketching into some flows. See the back of the deck for additional instructor notes.
Recommended materials:
Printer paper (~5 sheets per student minimum)
Pencils and erasers
I have delivered this workshop to over 500 students:
Amazon GirlsWhoCode Camp - 2015
Microsoft DigiGirlz Camp (Redmond) - 2012, 2013, 2014
UW's Dawgbytes Camp - 2012
For a blog post about the pilot sessions in 2012, as well as some examples from student sketches, see http://blog.cherylplatz.com/?p=181
To inquire about booking me to teach this workshop in your environment, email cheryl@cherylplatz.com.
This is my presentation from the panel "Innovators, Early Adopters, and the Rest of Us--Getting the Most from Your Library's Technology" at the Texas Library Association Annual Meeting, 2010. I shared the stage with Stephen Abram and John Blyberg and we had a great time!
Make things people want verses make people want things. Technology and the minutia of bullshit that proclaims to promote it get's uncovered and tortured by Steve Price, along with some examples of great things.
This is a short powerpoint deck I wrote on how to write powerpoint decks. My staff had a wide range of experience in presenting and the results were often disastrous. This is a simple baseline briefing about guidelines for creating powerpoint presentations. Or not.
Write less. Write better. It’s not just about doing away with words, but instead, improving the user experience by presenting the right information, at the right time, in the right format, to the right audience, and allowing them to make the right decision to stop reading content and start doing what they need to do. From search tools to airlines to the use of clear images, tables, or words, the goal of this session is to help you understand the right things to do to spend less time writing, and more time helping your company, your clients, and your readers reduce headaches and increase profits. See samples, join the discussion, and keep your words to a minimum.
Get things done : pragmatic project managementStan Carrico
Bitovi summer training camp presentation on communication and project / task management.
Roleplay dialog:
Version 1 (not the best)
PM : How is this new chart progressing? You have been working on it for two weeks and it needs to be complete by end of week.
Dev round A:
I'm working as fast as I can! I'm trying to get it done by the end of the week.
PM : Well, I'll check in with you again in a few hours.
Dev round A : I need more time than that, why don't you give me a day and then try me again?
PM : I need this to be done by Friday and it's already Thursday. How much longer do you need?
Dev round A : I don't know, but longer than a few hours..
__ Version 2 (better)
PM : How is this new chart progressing? You have been working on it for two weeks and it needs to be complete by end of week.
Dev round B : The chart consists of the plot, the axes and the css styles we're applying from the design mockup. I have completed the plot, and I estimate that the axis and applying styles will each take about 6 hours to complete. The plot took me longer than I expected. I think we should plan to demo the full chart on Monday.
PM : Can you update me when the axis and styles are done?
Dev round B : Sure. Does the business need to give us feedback on the plot, axis or styles? We can demo the plot now, the axis will be ready in the morning, and the styles will be applied and ready to demo on Monday morning.
PM : No, I think we need the complete product. I'll verify the don't need to give feedback on the pieces.
Dev round B : Ok, I'll send you a note when they are finished tomorrow evening, or I will update you before that if I run into any blockers.
References
The Pragmatic Programmer 1999 By Andrew Hunt and Dave Thomas
Team Geek 2012 By Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman
Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design 2006 By Brett McLaughlin, Gary Pollice, David West
The Agile Samurai 2014 Jonathan Rasmusson
Behind Closed Doors 2014 By Johanna Rothman, Esther Derby.
User Experience Webinar 1 - Eye-popping Content: Creating a User-friendly Fra...springshare
You’ve got it all – databases, articles, videos, books, recommended links. So how do you package it in a way that not only satisfies your users’ information needs but encourages browsing? Learn practical techniques and ideas for building a user-friendly and contextual framework for the web while using the resources at your fingertips.
A presentation made by Ann Pilkington to the APM South East branch and People SIG on 6th February 2014, in Swanley near Kent.
Ann has kindly provided some notes with her slides.
A presentation Brian Kardell in OpenUI appealing to the possibility of the group taking up efforts toward defining how we can use real world usage data in the process of standardization, and why we should.
Mimi Yin: Getting Things Done: Technology and PracticeSteve Williams
BayCHI March 14, 2006, program: Chandler is trying our exposure to too much information and not enough time to process, make decisions from the information available. Despite being in the information age, most of our decisions are still based on gut instinct, high-level impressions, tunnel vision (knee-jerk reaction), or someone else�s summary.
GTD or Getting Things Done is a task management system or methodology. It is a way of life. It is about putting things where they mean something to you. It is a trusted system. A trusted system is one that is complete and up-to-date.
The relationship between Chandler and GTD is such that Chandler is like a Unitarian church in relation to GTD. Chandler deals with the "spirit of the law" as opposed to the "letter of the law". Chandler picked out high level concepts that are universal and implemented a system aligned with GTD.
Making simple, elegant solutions is HARD and often invisible. These are some of the most common things I hear come out of people’s mouths when heading for a bad UX decision.
This presentation will examine the purpose and application of information architecture for the so-called ‘next generation’ of information tools, including blogs and wikis. We will introduce ‘needs based’ information architecture, the methodology used for organising and designing information-rich environments in a way that allows people to use them more easily. We will then look at how the best practice principles behind this approach apply equally well to emerging technologies.
Presented at Open Publish 2007, by Patrick Kennedy of Step Two Designs.
Becoming a Data Scientist: Advice From My Podcast GuestsRenee Teate
Information and advice about learning data science, from the 17 data scientists & data science learners I have interviewed to date on the Becoming a Data Scientist Podcast, and from me!
Originally presented at PyDataDC conference, 10/9/2016
Make It All About Your Audience (Deliver What They Want, How They Want, When ...Publishing Smarter
It’s all about the audience and we hear that all the time. Know your audience. Articles and discussions abound about the informed consumer, audience metrics, and personas. How do you actually organize and create content geared to multiple audiences?
Learn tips and techniques for planning, writing, and publishing which help you deliver the right information, to the right audience, in the right format, at the right time, and let them make the right decisions.
Talk on how to repair the digital divide among political factions. Suggested socio-technical pattern language for intelligent discourse. John C. Thomas
Automating DITA Publishing: How Gulfstream Publishes Style-rich, Interactive ...Publishing Smarter
If you have watched a TV show or movie in which characters travel the world in a Gulfstream, you have seen a company that elevates aviation to an art form. Sleek lines, luxurious cabins, and an ongoing pursuit of excellence are what we see onscreen.
Behind the scenes, there is DITA. Flight manuals, operators manuals, handbooks, and other content is sourced from one set of DITA materials. Gulfstream then publishes it in a system to PDF that is as functional, professional, and sharp looking as the airplanes they support.
How Gulfstream is doing this, though, is another story. It includes highs and lows of discovery, challenge, and success from open communications between partners. The experience of delivering the best looking and the best functioning documentation in the industry means months of effort to create a push-button approach to convert a DITA map to a finished digital PDF that provides a complete solution to online documentation for the cockpit.
This story is a continuing exploration of the boundaries of automation, compliance, design, and a desire to enhance the usability (and the re-usability) of content from creation to the final delivery. See how it works and what DITA can do to change the way we fly.
Convince Management to Invest in a CCMS (Lessons learned)Publishing Smarter
You are keenly aware of the benefits of a Component Content Management System (CCMS). Next steps; develop a business case to present to management. Answering their questions about an important investment decision means prepping for their key questions. This webinar presents you with questions management may ask, information on researching answers, and guidance on how to make your case. Learn through stories of companies and people who have a CCMS. Hear what they did to convince their management teams to make the long term investments that pay dividends for years to come.
Develop key components of a content strategy
Connect the implementation of the strategy with
Improved workflows for creating, managing, and publishing content
Reduction of risk in lack of compliance, inconsistency, missing information
Generation of revenue through effective multi-channel content delivery
Ask (and answer) questions related to tool selection
Hands-on with FrameMaker and DITA to create topics
Publish PDF and HTML5 formats
Implement an Adobe Experience Manager-based solution to ingest, manage, and publish content
DITA: From “Do I?” to “Done It!”: An Automotive Case Study that can apply to ...Publishing Smarter
This session showcases how documentation for one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world was to migrated to DITA allowing for publishing of hundreds of manuals in over a dozen languages.
Vehicle documentation (owner’s manuals, user guides, quick reference guides, etc) are as crucial to a car as the brakes, engine, or chassis. Without these a car is not finished, and cannot be shipped and sold. Documentation failure can cost over $100,000 per MINUTE if it results in a line being shut down.
Learn about the journey and discovery of concerns, project scope definition and change, trials and tribulations of getting tools to do what was needed, and the net results. Along the way a component content management system, author tools, review processes, and much more had to be planned, tested, implemented, and supported.
Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) is the accepted industry standard for creating structured content. A Unified Content Strategy is the methodical and purposeful management of your information assets across all divisions of your enterprise, in a way that breaks down silos and makes information easy to find and use.
Brakes, engine, or chassis is mission-critical for a car. Equally important is all the documentation (owner’s manuals, user guides, quick reference guides, etc). Without these, a car is not finished, and cannot be shipped or sold. When supporting one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world meant migrating to DITA, a solution that supported publishing had to work right. It had to work the first time, and every time.
Learn about the journey and discovery of concerns, project scope definition and change, trials and tribulations of getting tools to do what was needed, and the net results. Along the way, a component content management system, authoring tools, review processes, and much more had to be planned, tested, implemented, and supported.
Takeaways:
• Attendees should be able to clearly see what worked, what didn’t, learn why, and avoid similar pitfalls in their path to structured content.
• Identify how a tight time frame, expectations vs reality, last minute changes, and many late nights culminated into results that showcase the best and worst of tech comm and related tools and processes.
• Discover an automated publishing solution, where one source of content is transformed to multiple channels and uploaded to a CCMS.
Make the move from basic documents to structured documentsPublishing Smarter
Word is great when you have content that is managed by SharePoint, or based on standard and highly-enforced templates, or you have a team of developers to support your team of writers. However, there are too many ways for too many people to cause too many problems. Style overrides, manual formats, or just incorrect use of a template can haunt good content. You spend time and effort to make content great; now put a little bit more time into getting to know a tool that isn’t created for everyone. It’s created for those of us who work in technical communication. It’s time for Adobe FrameMaker.
In this session, you will learn how to
» Evaluate a Word document for content quality
» Rework content for a topic-based model
» Import a Word file to Adobe FrameMaker
» Create a structured workflow
» Migrate legacy content to a structured format
» Move your content to a CCMS
» Publish single sourced content to multiple channels, formats & devices
Give in to the power of the Dark Side: Tech Comm and Marketing are ConvergingPublishing Smarter
Video: https://youtu.be/AXPG_d-XiZk
We’ve come to think of it like this: content is content. Marketing and technical communications are generated for the same end users at different points in the product adoption life-cycle. The distinction between marketing communications and technical communications is far less pronounced than it once was. Managers sometimes see little difference in skill-sets and often put content creators together in one role or department – and maybe they’re right. During our careers we’re often dealing with a lot of technical content but also creating marketing communications; we’re in a good position to see how very little difference there might be between them. They’re both an always-on dialogue with the user, just at different points in the product adoption life-cycle. We’ll explore the audiences who consume content, ideas related to a seamless content experience, how both training and support factor into this, and talk about implementation ideas.
DITA can help both marketing and technical communications teams connect with customers. In a non-technical way, this slide deck (and the associated presentation) shows how and why it matters to connect with your customer using all the tools at your command.
Text-rich, illustration-heavy, table-filled, overly-hyphenated manuals and docs sit on the shelf and never get read.
Today, we read information in the format we want, on whatever device we want, and with just enough information to support what we need to do.
Learn more about topic-based writing, what it is and what it can do for your approach to documentation.
Any device, any time, any format.
Information on business models in Canada, and some background on considerations when starting a business in Alberta. Focus is on general ideas, but details about one tech comm business addressed specifically in the session.
When creating technical documentation it's good to know how long it will take. This presentation (delivered to the STC in Calgary Alberta) explores estimating such projects as well as an overview of the estimating process.
Metrics that matter Making the business case that documentation has valuePublishing Smarter
Tell the story around content as a business asset. We agree there is value in documentation but have been challenged at times to “prove it”. Present to groups including sales, support, service, IT, engineering, QA/testing, manufacturing, HR, training, finance, marketing, and every other business unit in your organization. Demonstrate how documentation drives sales and generates corporate revenue to managers and executives helping them see how important documentation is to them
Content creation, reuse, and publishing to everyone on every device (WritersUA)Publishing Smarter
Timing is everything. It's crucial to quickly create content for multiple audiences, manage reuse effectively, and publish to an audience that needs: the right information, at the right time, in the right format. You can follow up and in a hands-on way you: create content for multiple audiences, in seconds generate dynamic HTML5 content, do so at the click of a button
Metrics that matter: Making the business case that documentation has valuePublishing Smarter
Presented at STC16 Summit in Anaheim, follow a case study in which a product launch was positively impacted by good planning around documentation early in the project.
Content creation, reuse, and publishing to everyone on every devicePublishing Smarter
Use Adobe FrameMaker and its conditional text settings to create content unique to your audience and allow them to choose exactly what they read. Step-by-step instructions make it easy to get started, and explore powerful ideas.
Anny Serafina Love - Letter of Recommendation by Kellen Harkins, MS.AnnySerafinaLove
This letter, written by Kellen Harkins, Course Director at Full Sail University, commends Anny Love's exemplary performance in the Video Sharing Platforms class. It highlights her dedication, willingness to challenge herself, and exceptional skills in production, editing, and marketing across various video platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
The 10 Most Influential Leaders Guiding Corporate Evolution, 2024.pdfthesiliconleaders
In the recent edition, The 10 Most Influential Leaders Guiding Corporate Evolution, 2024, The Silicon Leaders magazine gladly features Dejan Štancer, President of the Global Chamber of Business Leaders (GCBL), along with other leaders.
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
FIA officials brutally tortured innocent and snatched 200 Bitcoins of worth 4...jamalseoexpert1978
Farman Ayaz Khattak and Ehtesham Matloob are government officials in CTW Counter terrorism wing Islamabad, in Federal Investigation Agency FIA Headquarters. CTW and FIA kidnapped crypto currency owner from Islamabad and snatched 200 Bitcoins those worth of 4 billion rupees in Pakistan currency. There is not Cryptocurrency Regulations in Pakistan & CTW is official dacoit and stealing digital assets from the innocent crypto holders and making fake cases of terrorism to keep them silent.
Implicitly or explicitly all competing businesses employ a strategy to select a mix
of marketing resources. Formulating such competitive strategies fundamentally
involves recognizing relationships between elements of the marketing mix (e.g.,
price and product quality), as well as assessing competitive and market conditions
(i.e., industry structure in the language of economics).
Discover the innovative and creative projects that highlight my journey throu...dylandmeas
Discover the innovative and creative projects that highlight my journey through Full Sail University. Below, you’ll find a collection of my work showcasing my skills and expertise in digital marketing, event planning, and media production.
Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challengesHolger Mueller
Holger Mueller of Constellation Research shares his key takeaways from SAP's Sapphire confernece, held in Orlando, June 3rd till 5th 2024, in the Orange Convention Center.
Premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions for Modern BusinessesSynapseIndia
Stay ahead of the curve with our premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions. Our expert developers utilize MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js to create modern and responsive web applications. Trust us for cutting-edge solutions that drive your business growth and success.
Know more: https://www.synapseindia.com/technology/mean-stack-development-company.html
3. Tech Comm 101: Know your audience
20:07@publishsmarter
3
Here because nothing else you had planned looked
good?
It’s IHOP. This IS where I’d be on a Monday!
Here because the topic is something you
Have a basic interest in?
Have a lot of interest in?
Love more than almost anything else on earth?
Already generally familiar with this topic?
4. Housekeeping and note taking
20:07@publishsmarter
Not all slides or topics are
equally weighted
Use some, discard others
Slides speed varies
(reference)
Questions? Ask any time!
I’d love to claim
errors/typos is on
purpose… they isn’t,
weren’t never, and ain’t; I’ll
fix ‘em as I can…
4
5. About your speaker
20:07@publishsmarter
Publishing Smarter:
President
Content strategist,
publishing technologies
expert, author, and geek-
enough
Certified Technical Trainer
DITA
Content management
Topic-based writing
Society for Technical
Communication
Vice President
STC Associate Fellow
5
6. Standard disclaimer
20:07@publishsmarter
In the interest of brevity I
will make some blanket
statements to keep it
simple
It’s not all 100% “the
truth”, but I’ll stay close
Purists may complain
And they are wrong!
(except when they are
right)
6
7. The irony is that I need 150 slides
(well, maybe not THAT many…)
@publishsmarter 20:07
7
Core principles of minimalism
8. Ideals of minimalism
20:07@publishsmarter
8
To the largest extent possible, a product should
document itself and do so
Explicitly, or
By being intuitive through good design
We have to ensure documentation and product
design fit together to let the user make the right
decision on use, because we provide
the right information
at the right time
in the right format
to the right audience
9. History of minimalism
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Developed for graphical user interfaces (GUI) and
grew out of a need for great usability
Minimalism can be applied to tech writing as well
(standards like Darwin Information Typing
Architecture (DITA), or more casually)
Similar theory: less is more
11. Core principles of minimalism
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1. Focus on an action-oriented approach
Tasks are core to what people are doing, so let them do it!
2. Anchor the tool in the task domain
Ensure you understand the users’ world
3. Support error recognition and recovery
Recognize the importance of troubleshooting information
4. Support reading to do, study, and locate
Ensure that users can find the information they need
• Carroll, J. “Minimalism Beyond the Nurnberg Funnel”
12. My suggestion: Factor in today’s audience
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Today’s audience is
More engaged Interactive
Eager Easily bored/misled/lost
Today’s audience engages/interacts
Not by being interested in what you write, deliver, or say
Not by talking to you (or your people) very often
Is engaged and interacts with present and
future audiences, and can impact perception
What you do now is noticed
What you did then is found
What you do in the future depends on both
13. 1. Action oriented approach
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Provide an immediate opportunity to act
Ensure tasks are front and center, and that they start with the first steps,
NOT with a lot of extra content. People want to DO things.
Encourage and support exploration and innovation
Don’t feed users every action. If it’s obvious, move on. If the task is
simple and the audience known, don’t include it, or summarize it.
Respect the integrity of the user’s activities
Keep the relevant info nearby, but don’t link them to a bunch of random
seeming places; instead support them in completing the task
In content, prioritize ‘how to’ (tasks) early
Use other content (concepts and references) to support tasks
In tools, let people do what they intend to do
Don’t put up roadblocks and obstacles. Ever. For any reason.
14. I presented in Edmonton, Alberta 1 day…
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15. … text didn’t do what I thought it should…
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Our site does not officially support your browser. Feel
free to explore with it, but you may not be able to use all
our features.
You may want to update your browser. Consider using
one of the following:
Microsoft Internet Explorer (download now)
Mozilla Firefox (download now)
If you have questions or encounter problems, please call
our Sales Super Centre at 1-800-538-5696.
From 114 words to 65 ~40% reduction
Message is cleaner, easier to understand
Translation costs decrease
Message changes to taking away blame
16. …this is what the airline did the NEXT day
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17. Is this respect for the integrity of the user’s action
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21. “Respect the integrity of the user’s activities”
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Focused links,
support the
goals
22. Recap: Action oriented approach
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Provide an immediate opportunity to act
Ensure tasks are front and center, and that they start with the
first steps, NOT with a lot of extra content. People want to DO
things.
Encourage and support exploration and innovation
Don’t feed users every action. If it’s obvious, move on. If the
task is simple and the audience known, don’t include it, or
summarize it.
Respect the integrity of the user’s activities
Keep the relevant info nearby, but don’t link them to a bunch of
random seeming places; instead support them in completing
the task
23. 2. Anchor tool in the task domain
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Select or design instructional activities that are real
tasks
If you document something, do so from the perspective of
doing something, not just documenting for the sake of features
Components of the instruction should reflect the task
structure
Organize the content so that it follows a natural progression
based on the tasks users actually perform
24. Good and bad of real tasks
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25. 3. Error recognition and recovery
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Prevent mistakes whenever possible
Provide error information when actions are error
prone or when correction is difficult
Provide error information that supports detection,
diagnosis, and recovery
Provide on-the-spot error information
28. More good error recognition/recovery
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29. 4. Read to do, study, and locate
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Be brief, don’t spell out everything
Users don’t need every bit of information about every bit of
functionality PLUS the entire backstory
Be consistent
Write things the same way in files, across publications
Don’t bury important content
If it matters THAT much, make it stand out; if it doesn’t matter,
don’t bother writing it
Provide closure in tasks
Where needed, let people know it’s done if there isn’t a natural
way to know they are finished
30. Be brief, don’t spell out everything
20:07@publishsmarter
Rather than text
The breather is located on
top of the pump and is
usually capped in black.
Consider this instead:
Rather than text
The butterfly valve is
located between the main
tank and the exhaust pipe.
Consider this instead:
30
31. Being brief can include better organization
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Supported formats include:
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group (common on the
web)
AI: Adobe Illustrator (A vector format for line drawings, but can
be converted to other formats as well)
Extension Type Notes
jpeg Joint Photographic Experts
Group
Common web format
ai Adobe Illustrator Vector format for line
drawings
32. Good: Organize information
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A comparison of sizes tells you that whales are big:
The average US male is 5’9”
The average US female is 5’4”
The average Beluga whale is 18’ long
The average Blue whale is 98’ long
A table can tell you the same thing
Mammal Length/height
Human being 5’7”
Beluga whale 18’
Blue whale 98’
33. Best: Images provide data AND scale
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18’
6’ / 2m
98’
< 6’
34. Be consistent in writing
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Don’t “mix it up”
Select File > New
Choose File > New
Click File > New
On the File menu, select/choose/click New
This will NOT help your users
36. Don’t bury information
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Learning’s complex enough
People clutter docs with:
Screen shots
Unneeded images
Useless text
Readers don’t have time
They want to just do the job
Stop telling them everything
you (or the SME) knows
Stop nesting (burying) tasks
1. Select File > Save As
The Save dialog appears.
2. Select a location
3. If required, create a folder
a) Click New Folder
A new folder is created
b) Type a name for the folder
c) Press Enter
4. Open the folder
37. Deliver what is relevant. The end.
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No Yes
38. Provide closure in tasks
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This sample is horrible
1. Select File > Open
The Open dialog
appears
2. Choose a location
Available files display
3. Select a file
The file is highlighted
4. Click Open
The file opens and
displays onscreen
Drop useless results
1. Select File > Open
2. Select location/filetype
3. Click Open
Provide closure when it’s
not totally obvious. ONLY.
1. Press Ctrl+s
The asterisk by the page
number is cleared
Unsaved
Saved
38
39. Recap: Read to do, study, and locate
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Be brief, don’t spell out everything
Users don’t need every bit of information about every bit of
functionality PLUS the entire backstory
Be consistent
Write things the same way in files, across publications
Don’t bury important content
If it matters THAT much, make it stand out; if it doesn’t matter,
don’t bother writing it
Provide closure in tasks
Where needed, let people know it’s done if there isn’t a natural
way to know they are finished
40. Tips to get you started on minimalism
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Reworking source content
41. Work with images: Text heavy, mixed source
20:07@publishsmarter
It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
41
42. Remember: Tasks come first
20:07@publishsmarter
It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
42
43. Repeat for concepts
20:07@publishsmarter
It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
43
44. And for references
20:07@publishsmarter
It has been said a picture is
worth 1000 words. If this is
true, it makes sense to use
images to show ideas,
visualize things, or to add
life to dry text. You can add
images in supported formats
to web pages.
To insert images first select
where you want in on your
web page. Choose Insert in
the Image menu. There are
many image formats
supported (web formats),
and since pictures draw the
eye to a specific location, you
may want to add maps or
charts.
If maps or charts are used
they can visually explain ideas
that may take many pages to
write about. They can even
make content feel more alive,
so if it makes sense, add
them to reports to accentuate
an idea that matters.
Once you know the format
you need, select a file location
and click Map or Chart if
needed. We support jpg, gif,
png, svg (and we convert
Illustrator or Photoshop too!).
Click on a file, then Insert.
44
46. Now, the task title reads: Import pictures
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46
Images, maps, and charts can be
added to web pages.
Prereq: Ensure graphics are in a
supported web-friendly file format.
1. Select the location to insert an image.
2. Select Image > Insert.
If inserting a Map or Chart, specify
this.
3. Select a folder location.
4. Select a file.
5. Click Insert.
6. Configure the image as needed.
47. Concept title: Reasons to use pictures
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It has been said a picture is worth 1000
words; use images to show ideas,
visualize complex ideas, or to add life to
dry text.
Pictures draw the eye to a specific location.
If maps or charts are used they can
graphically explain an idea that may take
many pages to write about. They can even
make content feel more alive, so if it makes
sense, add them to reports to accentuate an
idea that matters.
48. Reference title: Supported image formats
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Graphic types, how they are used,
and background information.
Format Function Notes
.jpg Raster based
images
displayed online
(web).
Our conversion tools allow
multiple options, test for
best compatibility.
.gif
.png
.svg Vector based
images
displayed online
(web)
Our conversion tools allow
multiple options, test for
best compatibility.
.ps Adobe
Photoshop
Raster based source.
.ai Adobe Illustrator Vector based source.
49. Summing up the discussion,
and options to continue it.
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Conclusion and contact
50. About this session
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Basics of minimalism
1. Focus on an action-oriented approach
2. Anchor the tool in the task domain
3. Support error recognition and recovery
4. Support reading to do, study, and locate
Light examples
Serious ideas