#21700
Covers the stages in the information design process of: discovery, analysis, prototyping and review.
Deshpande, Shashank. STC India (2003). Presentations>Information Design>Workflow
#20746
Information Design Progression 
The Information Design Progression will focus on exploring several diverse topics in the evolving field of information design, including graphic communication, design principles, usability, and information design in teams and in the community. The topics provide practical techniques, examples of information design in action, and useful information that can improve your own projects and skill set.
Taylor, Cheri W. STC Proceedings (1999). Presentations>Information Design
#13271
An Information Make-Over for Performance Centered Design
Technical communicators have long harbored a secret that we are reluctant to admit to outsiders: Users don’t like reading manuals. They do it only as a last resort. Even online help systems, which we originally hoped would be easier to use, have not met with great enthusiasm among users. It’s an all-too-common dilemma – there is a lot of information that could be explained, but users struggle along as best they can without it. Part of the problem has always been that users are reluctant to leave their work to seek information -- and rightly so. They have work to do and deadlines to meet. Even if your manual or online help contains a wealth of useful information, it takes them away from their work and interrupts their train of thought. If they do try to use it, the help window typically overlays the interface and adds its own set of navigation, resizing, and searching issues.
Battle, Lisa H. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Documentation>Information Design
#13138
Information Modeling for Single Sourcing
Single sourcing involves identifying all information requirements up front, then developing them from a single source. Information is broken down into elements, which are reused wherever they are required. Information models identify to writers all the required elements, how to structure them, and how to reuse them. This paper describes the process of information modeling.
Kostur, Pamela and Ann Rockley. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Information Design>Single Sourcing
#23933
There's a lot of bragging on the Internet about how big it is, how much information the Web has to offer. I ran across a discussion group posting a while back where the moderator announced that one of the search engines had indexed 9 billion words. I went to the University of California online catalog and did a quick calculation: 9 million titles x 300 pages x 500 words.
Coyle, Karen. Karen Coyle (1997). Presentations>Information Design>Accessibility
#21698
The process of organizing information and presenting it in whatever format makes it most meaningful to the user.
Deshpande, Shashank. STC India (2003). Presentations>Information Design
#13889
The Need for Architect/Construction Worker Dichotomies in Information Architecture as a Profession 
I would suggest that before we adopt the 'information architect' model and concede the construction worker (role of 'other') to many members of our field in order to negotiate management positions for a few, that we look to other professions to see how they have resisted this dichotomy. It may be argued, perhaps, that professions such as medicine and the law have managed to avoid successfully such hierarchical dichotomies -- at least in part. At the least, we should debate the possible implications of such systems more rigorously than we have to date.
Sauer, Geoffrey. CPTSC Proceedings (2002). Presentations>Information Design>Workplace
#30193
One Hundred and One Forms eTips
One hundred and one tips for designing digital forms using Adobe Acrobat.
Padova, Ted. Adobe (2007). Presentations>Information Design>Forms>Adobe Acrobat
#21689
Papers and Presentations from STC India Learning Sessions
View and download papers presented at STC India's learning sessions.
STC India. Presentations>Information Design>Communication>Usability
#13188
Particle Physics, Frank Lloyd Wright and Feng Shui: A Walking Tour Through Spatial Web Design
Although the concept of the internet as a virtual space is not new, after nearly ten years of development, our understanding of web space still remains more textually based than spatial. Because the World Wide Web provides a new kind of information space, we need to understand it in both informational and spatial terms. As such, we can benefit from exploring the shape of cyberspace from an architectural perspective, just as we would other spaces and shapes in our experience. In this discussion I offer a model that views web site design from three architectural perspectives: motion, structure and flow.
Heba, Gary M. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Web Design>Information Design
#14369
Preparing World-Ready Information Products
This post-conference seminar offers a 360-degree view of how to develop information products for the world. We use case studies, exercises, and lots of lively discussion to give you a crash course in preparing world-ready information products. Participants leave with a copy of the slides, an exercise booklet, an extensive bibliography that includes print, Web, and Internet references, a list of professional associations, tools information, plus lots of great ideas. Participants are encouraged share specific problems and to bring samples of translated materials, style guides, translation checklists, and so on, for display and perusing during the seminar.
Hoft, Nancy L. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Information Design
#23934
Privacy is especially difficult to define because it means different things to different people. Each of us has our own privacy needs. Women often have different privacy concerns than men; asking a 9-year-old child his age over the Net has different privacy implications from asking the same question of a middle-aged adult. A question that may not be seen as violating our privacy in one situation could have that appearance in another.
Coyle, Karen. Karen Coyle (1999). Presentations>Information Design>Privacy
#13143
Redesigning an STC Chapter Web Site: Creating a Navigation Structure
The Chicago Chapter of STC undertook to redesign its web site in 1999. The existing web site structure did not allow growth. It was difficult to add new categories of information without creating long, scrolling pages containing embedded hyperlinks. Users expressed frustration when they were unable to find specific information within the site. A solution was required that would make information more accessible to casual users and enable the site to grow without major reconfiguration. A committee was formed to study the problem and come up with a flexible navigation structure that could grow along with the web site.
Gannon, Joseph P. and Suzanne D. Williams. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Web Design>Information Design
#13964
Reflections on NoteCards: Seven Issues for the Next Generation of Hypermedia Systems 
NoteCards, developed by a team at Xerox PARC, was designed to support the task of transforming a chaotic collection of unrelated thoughts into an integrated, orderly interpretation of ideas and their interconnections. This article presents NoteCards as a foil against which to explore some of the major limitations of the current generation of hypermedia systems, and characterizes the issues that must be addressed in designing the next generation systems.
Halasz, Frank G. ACM SIGDOC (1988). Presentations>Information Design>Hypertext
#18214
Researching and Planning an SGML Implementation
The potential benefits of re-usable, portable information have many organizations contemplating a move to a Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) environment. A successful SGML implementation requires thorough research to identify project goals and requirements as well as a formal implementation plan.
Stertzbach, Lori A. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Information Design>SGML
#29331
Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides
Recently, much criticism has arisen about the design of slides created with Microsoft PowerPoint. This web page challenges PowerPoint's default design of a single word or short phrase headline supported by a bullet list. Rather than subscribing to Microsoft's topic-subtopic design for slides, this web page advocates an assertion-evidence design, which serves presentations that have the purpose of informing and persuading audiences about technical content.
Alley, Michael. Virginia Tech (2004). Articles>Presentations>Information Design>Microsoft PowerPoint
#28735
Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides
If engineers and technical professionals would adopt this assertion-evidence design for presentations in which slides are the appropriate medium, the effectiveness of those presentations would increase significantly.
#23666
Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides
Summary, models, and templates of a new design of slides for technical presentations. This design is fully documented in Chapter 4 of The Craft of Scientific Presentations (Springer, 2003).
Alley, Michael. Penn State University (2004). Articles>Presentations>Information Design>Visual Rhetoric
#26457
Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides: A Case for Sentence Headlines and Visual Evidence 
The traditional design of presentation slides calls for a phrase headline supported by a bulleted list. Recently, many critics have challenged the effectiveness of this design. This article argues for a significantly different design that offers numerous advantages in most communication contexts but that is particularly well suited to technical presentations. Originating at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and refined in more than 400 critique sessions at Virginia Tech, this alternative design is characterized by a succinct sentence headline supported by visual evidence. What distinguishes this design from other visual -evidence designs are its specific layout and typography guidelines, which were chosen to make the communication efficient, memorable, and persuasive. Although more difficult to construct than the traditional design, the alternative design shows much promise as a more effective means of conveying technical information to various audiences. This article outlines the key advantages and challenges of using this design, and concludes by assessing attempts to disseminate this design through lectures, workshops, and the Web.
Alley, Michael and Kathryn A. Neeley. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Presentations>Information Design>Persuasive Design
#14356
Retrofitting Paper-Based Documentation for Hypermedia Delivery
The trend to online delivery of information means new challenges for developers. New skills must be learned. Large-scale conversion projects must be completed while new materials are developed. Though conversion can be a monumental task, research and planning are the keys to a smooth transition. Five steps are critical to the conversion process: (1) Analyze the needs for developers ard end-users. (2) Develop a design document to outline how the hypermedia system should work. (3) Develop a transition plan. (4) Implement the Plan. (5) Update and maintain the system.
Hatley, Stacey D. and Travis Williams. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Web Design>Information Design
#14515
SGML—A Pilot Project For The Department Of Energy
SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) is a viable transmission vehicle for Scientific and Technical Information (STI) communications. SGML is an integral component within the CALS (Computer Aided Logistics and Support) initiative. SGML as identified in this paper will be the transmission device for STI. This paper is designed to provide a high level overview of the Department of Energy (DOE) initiative to the Technical Information and Publications group within the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory. This paper will address the genealogy of the initial efforts to (1) generate a specification (limited to tagging scientific and technical data) (2) generate applicable Document Type Definitions (DTD’s) and (3) develop a proof of concept to DOE for evaluation. This paper is not designed to provide a lesson in document analysis, DTD preparation or SGML transmission. This paper does however provide a structured approach starting at ground zero and systematically reaching the point of document delivery.
Stickels, Thomas C. STC Proceedings (1994). Presentations>Information Design>SGML
#13217
Standardizing Information for Your Users
If the modular approach to developing documentation is poorly coordinated, it can be a waste of time and resources. In this paper, learn how a team of technical writers overcame the problem to develop and standardize their documentation.
Gokhale, Sunil and Louis Jude Selvadoray. STC Proceedings. Presentations>TC>Information Design
#14559
Many teams are still laboring to transform poorly organized manuals into online help. But the biggest cllallege you face going from paper to online is not interface, but structure The better your structure, the easier your users will navigate.
Price, Jonathan R. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Information Design
#13245
Tips and Tricks of Information Management
Technical communication, when it comes down to basics, is getting the right information across to the right audience, with results. But how do you wade through all that ocean of information? How do you sort them, separate them, store them, and retrieve them at your fingertips? In this presentation you will learn tools such as L files and Mailword, and share other tips and tricks of managing information in an open discussion with other participants.
Dijamco, Renato A. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Information Design>Management
#14552
To SGML or Not to SGML. That is the Question?
SGML is a tool that will change the way technical communicators work, it will also change the way companies operate. To implement SGML requires careful planning. Success will allow information to be created once and used repeatedly. This technology will benefit any company that requires large amounts of technical information to be shared and eventually updated. DTDs, FOSIs and parsers will all have to be understood before a move to SGML is contemplated. SGML does for document creation what word processing did for typing, some years ago. It adds repeatable format structure and style to an information document.
Rhodes-Marriott, A. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Information Design>SGML
