How Design Documents Enhance Information Product Development Process Quality  

Panelists from LSI Logic Storage Systems review their company's approach to enhancing process quality by using design documents as process enforcement and project-planning tools for planning the development of information products (IP). Hear how effective planning solves problems that occur during the IP development process and how capturing the planning elements in design documents helps solve role-based problems for developers, editors, and managers. Discuss the many problems design documents help project teams solve: they help developers solidify the IP development task sequence, they help editors define the rhetorical context, and they help managers reduce the cost of rework.

Burroughs, Dia H., Randy Clark, Sylvia McCombs and Tony Washington. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Documentation>User Interface>Workflow

Information Product Development Process Quality: Vision, Process, and Implementation  

Two members of the management team from LSI Logic Storage Systems' Technical Publications Department review how their team developed a vision statement and an information product development process based on that vision statement. The workshop provides participants opportunities to learn about the value of vision statements and production processes as well as to begin developing these materials for their own organizations. Participants will also share ideas on how to maintain process integrity through customer focus, team feedback on product and process quality, and strategic continuous improvement. Participants will receive materials that enable them to draft their own vision statements, information product development processes, and continuous improvement team operating practices.

Burroughs, Dia H. and Randy Clark. STC Proceedings (2004). Careers>Management>TC

Software Documentation Process: Symbios Logic  

This panel presents the software documentation processes of three companies. Participating on an interface design team allows writers to contribute to a software’s usability and to develop supporting documentation early in the software’s development cycle. This presentation summarizes the crossfunctional team’s process and strategies for designing the interface and for preparing usable support products. I will also review the successes and problems we encountered as we created online help and a printed user guide. Writers can learn about Symbios Logic’s interface design team as one approach to creating usable software with accurate, quality documentation. At Symbios Logic, one of our goals is to develop data storage products supported by accurate, easy-to-use documentation. The major challenge we face in completing this documentation is meeting the release dates for our products. To achieve this goal, we are re-designing our latest software by combining both interface and documentation development into one design process.

Burroughs, Dia H. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Writing>Technical Writing

Weathering Transition: What Skills Do You Really Need?  

Most industry recruiters are looking for writers with both education and experience. Moreover, they assume that if you have a college degree, you should possess a fundamental skills set in a particular field, and you should have proven that you can commit and follow through on a major learning task. Having the fundamental skills is important to employers because your job training can then focus on the company’s specifics (such as, technology, products, and platforms).

Burroughs, Dia H. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC