#25156
The Benefits of a Buddy for the Solo Designer
Are you a home-based studio or freelancer? The benefits are many for the solo designer, but feeling isolated can spell trouble.
Bertucci, Janet and Julianne Nardone. Design, Typography and Graphics (2004). Careers>Graphic Design>Collaboration
#14727
The Benefits of Having a Mentor 
In the first article of a new section of Intercom devoted to students, Brown recounts her experience as a novice technical writer relying on a mentor for professional guidance.
Brown, Alison. Intercom (2001). Careers>Collaboration>Mentoring
#24261
Best of the Best of the Best: Winners of STC's International Competitions
This article profiles the winning entries in STC's international technical publications, technical art, online communication, and student technical communication competitions.
Intercom (2004). Articles>TC>Collaboration>STC
#14350
Currently, “user-centered design” is the touted methodoloay for software development for many companies. To many of us, it’s merely a more global articulation of what we have always believed to be the preferred methodology. Technical communicators and HF professionals have critical roles to play as part of a multi-disciplinary user-centered design team. (1) This paper presents some viewpoints on how technical communicators and HF professionals can increase each other's effectiveness.
Rauch, Thyra L. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>User Centered Design>Collaboration
#24233
Beyond Copy-Editing: The Editor-Writer Relationship
Editing is often narrowly defined as making corrections after a document is written. This approach typically relegates the editor to a low-status role within the organisation.
Durham, Marsha. Technical Editors Eyrie (1991). Articles>Editing>Collaboration
#25854
Beyond Markets and Firms: The Emergence of Open Source Networks 
Although hierarchies and markets (i.e., autonomy) have been subject to extensive study, heterarchies represent different modalities of organizing that have been little researched. Drawing on complexity theory and the main features of complex evolving systems (CES), this paper sets out to remedy this imbalance by showing that heterarchies feature highly decentralized and relatively stable interactions which are coordinated through an emergent process of parametric adaptation. Implications in terms of learning are discussed casting a new light on the delicate issue of motivation in Open Source software development.
Iannacci, Federico and Eve Mitleton-Kelly. First Monday (2005). Articles>Collaboration>Community Building>Open Source
#19199
An hypothetical example of interpersonal communication issues which may arise in the workplace. Tad had sketched a layout to the wrong scale, so you called him in for what you thought would be a straightforward conversation. But instead of agreeing to make the changes, he stiffened a bit, then said, 'I've been working on this account for three years, and I know how these people work. They're going to futz around with this for a few days, and then tell you they want it the way I've done it. Believe me, it'll save a lot of time and money if we just go with it as is.' What can you do to get Tad's co-operation now, and to keep it in the future? And what might you have done differently to prevent this conflict?
#21575
A company decides to release its software and documentation simultaneously in markets with different languages. For the documentation team, the traditional model of 'write and translate' does not work any longer. A bilingual writing team collaborates to produce a handbook in two languages at the same time.
Duffy, Gerald J. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Localization>Collaboration
#21577
Bilingual Team Writing: Planning a Project
A two-person bilingual writing team enabled a software application development group to produce on-line documentation and a user guide simultaneously in two languages. Team writing in an international environment requires detailed planning, constant monitoring, and continuous communication in order to succeed.
MacKay, Brenda. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Project Management>Localization>Collaboration
#30210
This article uses qualitative material gathered at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to construct a model of the rhetorical activity that occurs at the boundaries between diverse communities of practice working on complex sociotechnical systems. The authors reinterpret the notion of the boundary object current in science studies as a rhetorical construct that can foster cooperation and communication among the diverse members of heterogeneous working groups. The knowledge maps constructed by team members at LANL in their work on technical systems are boundary objects that can replace the demarcation exigence that so often leads to agonistic rhetorical boundary work with an integrative exigence. The integrative exigence realized by the boundary object of the knowledge map can help create a temporary trading zone characterized by rhetorical relations of symmetry and mutual understanding. In such cases, boundary work can become an effort involving integration and understanding rather than contest, controversy, and demarcation.
Wilson, Greg and Carl G. Herndl. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2007). Articles>Scientific Communication>Collaboration>Rhetoric
#28642
Brainstorming is an individual or group process for generating alternative ideas or solutions for a specific topic. Good brainstorming focuses on the quantity and creativity of ideas: the quality of ideas is much less important than the sheer quantity. After ideas are generated, they are often grouped into categories and prioritized for subsequent research or application.
Usability Body of Knowledge (2007). Articles>Usability>Methods>Collaboration
#31599
Breaking Down the Silos: Usability Practitioners Meet Marketing Researchers
I often find that client companies keep two disciplines locked up in separate silos—usability research within IT and marketing research within the Marketing Services department. This can have a serious impact on the sharing of information relating to customer experience.
Kozatch, David. UXmatters (2008). Articles>Usability>Marketing>Collaboration
#26754
SIN stands for Shy, Inactive, or New. I admit that it wasn't my original idea--I appropriated the name and concept from another organization.
Miller, Elisa K. Tieline (2006). Articles>Collaboration>Management
#14385
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Decentralizing a Doc Group
Re-engineering — a word that strikes fear into the hearts of middle-management. Our company was hit by reengineering fever in 1995–6, and word came down that we were to break up our comfortable little documentation group and distribute the writers among product development teams. We did it, and we did it right. In this paper, we · Review the thinking and planning that went into the conversion of a 30-person, centralized, corporatewide documentation group into a decentralized, loosely affiliated community of technical writers. · Describe the implementation of our plans and some of the pitfalls we encountered and overcame. · Share an evaluation of the success of the reorganization, and some tips that we learned along the way.
Kove, Jennifer and David Drexler. STC Proceedings (1998). Presentations>Management>Collaboration
#23511
Bridging the Gap Between Creative and Technical Types
Does a gap between those considered creative types and those considered technical types really exist, or is it just a perception we've fostered?
Torok, Karen. Hanson (2001). Design>Project Management>Collaboration
#23333
Bringing Literature Teachers and Writing Teachers Closer Together
Many traditional college English departments now find themselves in an unpalatable predicament. Pressure from the marketplace and from other college disciplines has made clear that students need more than basic composition skills. They need skills to communicate effectively in business, research, and industrial environments. While enrollments in traditional literature courses have continued to decline, English departments are asked to staff and teach an increasing number of courses in various types of technical writing. These two trends have produced a less than harmonious climate within many English departments. Technical writing courses are often viewed by literature teachers as alien intruders unrelated both to the established goals of an English department and to the attempt to encourage and preserve the study of humanities and aesthetics. Many teachers see technical writing as intellectually arid, controlled only by format and mechanical approaches to clarity. Many more consider it antiliterature, unsympathetic to the methods used to teach literary analysis and appreciation.
Kroitor, Harry P. and Elizabeth Tebeaux. ADE Bulletin (1984). Articles>Education>Collaboration
#26531
Bringing Practitioners into Programs
Four presentations about how to connect academic programs with workplace practitioners in technical communication.
Barker, Thomas, David Dayton, Elizabeth O. (Betsy) Smith and Tracy Bridgeford. CPTSC (2005). Presentations>Education>Collaboration>Workplace
#30390
Bubba Awards: Recognition on a Shoestring
This paper is an explanation of a low-cost and high-fun method used by the Lone Star Chapter to recognize officers and committee managers for their work during the past year.
Skinner, Judith N. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Collaboration>Community Building>STC
#19949
Technical communicators are accustomed to being thrown into the breech when their employers or clients confront severe business challenges. Rather than rush into the fray, we stand a better chance of tilting the business outcomes in our companies’ or clients’ favor if we remain disciplined under fire. A good way to achieve that discipline is to structure the communications team in a manner best suited to collaborative ventures and then implement those ventures in an orderly process called integrated strategic communication. This workshop begins with a brief explanation of how the Communications Department at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control - Orlando (LMMFC-O) uses integrated strategic communication to defend the company’s existing business base or seek new business in the fiercely competitive defense industry. Workshop participants will work in teams to complete practical hands-on exercises applying the process of integrated strategic communication to scenarios involving pressing business/technical communication challenges.
Voss, Daniel W. and William C. Wiese. STC Proceedings (2001). Careers>Management>Collaboration
#23436
Early in April 2001, delegates from the European societies for technical communication met for the first time in Brussels, following a joint invitation by tekom - the German society -- and ISTC - the UK institute. Among the represented societies were CRT (France), FTI (Sweden), ISTC (United Kingdom), STD (Finland), STIC (Netherlands), TECOM (Switzerland) and tekom (Germany and Austria). The most important outcome was the formulation of a joint declaration of intent to found a European-wide 'umbrella' organisation.
Wirtz, Ursula. TC-FORUM (2001). Articles>Collaboration>Regional>Europe
#14649
Wilkinson explains how to use a project site to manage a Web site project.
Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2000). Design>Web Design>Collaboration
#21248
Building a Vision of Design Success
A common view of vision is that it's something handed down by a leader to the troops. When a redesign goes awry, the troops complain, 'There was no vision.' But the problem goes deeper than either scenario; the problem is that there was no shared vision.
Wodtke, Christina. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Design>Web Design>Management>Collaboration
#30391
Building and Maintaining Student Chapters
Developing a strong student STC chapter is a challenging and rewarding experience. Those of us who are involved in this process can certainly benefit from sharing our ideas in a directed workshop atmosphere. Participants will exchange ideas and formulate working strategies for the development, maintenance, and growth of a student chapter.
Fink, Bonnie L. and William O. Coggin. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Collaboration>Education>STC
#31947
Building and Managing Virtual Teams
Chris Nagele’s run Wildbit, creators of hosted Subversion app Beanstalk, for 8 years virtually. He lives in Philadelphia and his team is all over the world. So, he knows a few things about virtual teams and shares them in this article.
Nagele, Chris. Vitamin (2008). Articles>Management>Collaboration>Online
#14499
Building Bridges Between Marketing and Technical Publications Teams 
One common myth in the corporate world is that technical publications and marketing departments are fundamentally at odds with each other. Some technical writers believe marketing publications are too adjective-laden and prone to hyperbole, while some marketing writers think tech publications are too dry and factual. Who's right? It's all a matter of perspective. Technical writers and marketing writers typically have different audiences and purposes for their publications. But once you get beyond the superficial differences, you'll see that both writing groups have more in common than is immediately apparent. Perhaps more important, both groups have a lot to offer each other.
Peruzzi, Brett. Society for Technical Communication (2002). Careers>Collaboration>Marketing
