Structured content lets you enforce standards and ensure consistency, but how do you accommodate the creative aspects of content creation and delivery in a structured workflow? In short case studies, Alan Pringle shows you how companies balance the creative requirements against structural standards. Topics include: designers communicating layout specifications to programmers for automated publishing, flexibility in layout as a critical business need, and the true costs of highly customized layouts and structures.

1. Balancing standardization against
the need for creativity
Flickr: Paxson Woelber
Alan Pringle
Scriptorium
August 3, 2016
@alanpringle

2. Type questions and
comments in the
Questions module of
GoToWebinar.
Questions? Comments?
Flickr: Veronique Debord
Attendees are muted
during webcast.
Webcast is being recorded,
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3. About me
Chief operating officer,
Scriptorium Publishing
Working with structured
content since 1988
Coauthor, Content Strategy 101
and Technical Writing 101
@alanpringle

4. About me
@alanpringle

5. Stereotype of structured authoring
Flickr: Umberto Salvagnin
No creativity!
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6. Three case studies
Communicating layout specifications for
automated outputs
Considering the true costs of customized
structures
Flexibility in layout as a business
requirement
@alanpringle

7. Flickr: State Library and Archives of Florida
Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
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8. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
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9. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
<xsl:variable name="level-1-family">SansBold</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-size">14pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-line-height">15pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-weight">normal</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-style">normal</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-indent">0pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-color">#000000</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-space-before">42pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-space-after">4pt</xsl:variable>
Settings for heading 1 paragraphs:
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10. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Typical workflow for automated PDF output
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11. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Programmer develops stylesheet in
text/XML editor.
Code specifies page size, font use, and
so on.
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12. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
<xsl:variable name="level-1-family">SansBold</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-size">14pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-line-height">15pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-weight">normal</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-style">normal</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-indent">0pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-color">#000000</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-space-before">42pt</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="level-1-space-after">4pt</xsl:variable>
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13. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Any changes?
“Change the heading color to our new
corporate blue.”
“Make the chapter heading a little bigger.”
Programmer gets specifications from
template.
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14. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Developed process that relies on... stylesheets!
Programmer added detailed code comments.
Programmatic formatting requires specific
numbers. How do you collect them?
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15. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Sample code comment for page size:
Physical page dimensions.
US Letter is 8.5 in x 11 in;
A4 is 8.3 in × 11.7 in.
Dimensions that accommodate
both paper sizes are 8.3 in x
11.0 in.
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16. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Extract code comments and create Word
file:
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17. Communicating layout specifications for
automated output
Designer fills out settings and returns file.
Programmer gets specific measurements.
Code comments serve as reference for
later maintenance.
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18. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
Flickr: Creative-Tools.com
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19. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
Automated PDF formatting is not for all
information types.
Highly designed study guides required
greater flexibility in layout.
How do you preserve high-quality layouts
for print?
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20. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
Transform source XML into InDesign-
compatible XML.
XML refers to styles in the InDesign
template.
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21. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
<ParagraphStyleRange AppliedParagraphStyle="ParagraphStyle/body">
<CharacterStyleRange AppliedCharacterStyle="CharacterStyle/
$ID/[No character style]">
<Content>When developing a test bed, it is important to
ensure that you cover </Content>
</CharacterStyleRange>
<CharacterStyleRange
AppliedCharacterStyle="CharacterStyle/bold">
<Content>all </Content>
</CharacterStyleRange>
<CharacterStyleRange AppliedCharacterStyle="CharacterStyle/
$ID/[No character style]">
<Content>basic cases for your requirements.</Content>
</CharacterStyleRange>
...
</ParagraphStyleRange>
InDesign Markup Language (IDML) sample:
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22. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
Place XML file into InDesign template.
Styles and other formatting applied
automatically:
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23. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
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Wikipedia: Guma89

24. Flexibility in layout as a
business requirement
Adjust line breaks, pagination, image
placement, and so on.
Reduced production time significantly.
Get benefits of structured content (reuse,
in particular).
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25. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Flickr: Japanexperterna.se
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26. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Standardization versus creativity is not
just about layout.
Create custom structure? Adopt standard?
When should you change a standard's
default structures?
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27. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Implement XML for conditional content,
mobile delivery, and localization.
Installation guides: procedures with more
than 100 steps.
Steps could contain substeps and
sub-substeps.
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28. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Procedure layers:
63. This is the 63rd
step in a procedure.
a. This is a substep.
i. This is a sub-substep.
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29. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Content model did not support sub-substeps
by default.
Content creators requested addition of
sub-substep element.
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30. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
My reaction to a 100-step procedure with
three layers of steps:
a. Time to re-evaluate
b. Excellent tech comm
c. Absolutely not
d. CENSORED
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31. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Information architects: reconsider the long
procedures and sub-substeps.
Level of effort: modifying versus
maintaining default structure.
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Please.

32. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Modify:

Develop and test modification

Implement in authoring tools, CCMS, and
stylesheets

Distribute to localization vendors

Train writers on custom structure
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33. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Maintain:

Rethink procedures to eliminate sub-substeps.

Rewrite to break up lengthy procedures.
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34. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Content creators:
Did not want to rewrite content.
Adding sub-substep path of least resistance.
Rewriting = admitting that process is bad.
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35. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
Information architects:
Rewriting: short-term effort, long-term
benefits.
Rewrote some content to show increased
reuse.
What about reading on phones and
tablets?
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36. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
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37. Considering the true costs of
customized structures
No agreement on approach.
Company planned to re-evaluate later.
Not every consulting engagement has a
happy ending.
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38. Conclusions
Streamline communication with technology.
Evaluate costs and biases while considering
structural changes.
Get benefits of structure and flexible
formatting.
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39. Conclusions
Technical ≠ not creative
Need versus want
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40. Resources
PDF specifications (Word file)
tiny.cc/PDFsettings
Managing change (Content Strategy 101)
tiny.cc/manage-change
InDesign XML
InDesign & DITA post: tiny.cc/indesign-dita
IDML specifications (PDF): tiny.cc/idml
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41. Resources
Case study summaries:
tiny.cc/balancing-case-studies
@alanpringle

42. Flickr: Veronique Debord
Questions?
Comments?
@alanpringle

43. Contact me
Alan Pringle
asp@scriptorium.com
scriptorium.com/blog
@alanpringle