An Ecological Approach to Design

This talk will explain how to use ecological design, which is an expansion of ethnography, to leverage both the rich local information from case studies, and a wider sociological perspective to take account of global realities.

Nardi, Bonnie A. Argus Center (2000). Presentations>Information Design>Knowledge Management

An eCommerce Primer for Technical Communicators  

The burgeoning eCommerce industry has redefined not only traditional business processes, but the technology required to impart them. Roles are being created or redefined, where programmers, systems analysts, and engineers now have to have almost as much knowledge of business process development as they do of their technical specialty. The same can be said for technical communicators. Technical communicators involved in eCommerce today need to have an understanding of the major issues involved in eCommerce. This paper addresses five of these major eCommerce areas: the statistics behind eCommerce issues, eCommerce infrastructure providers, managed electronic commerce, business object technology, and data mining.

Le Vie, Donald S., Jr. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Web Design>E Commerce

Editing Strategies for Print and World Wide Web Copy  

Editing copy is more than fixing commas and typographical styles. Although many of the same editing strategies apply to both print and online copy, editing Web copy requires carefully considering the Web site’s functions, thinking about reading strategies, making heads and links clear, and considering Web structures.

Simmons, Barbara A. and Donald E. Zimmerman. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Web Design

Educational Websites and Gender Equality: An Analysis of How Educational Websites Respond to Gender Differences in Use  

The integration of technology into education includes increased educational Internet and web use. However the websites used in and for education are rarely critically examined, especially in regard to gender equality, design, and use. Print has been argued to carry with it certain attributes that disturb gender equality, so it is likely that electronic writing might cause similar problems.

Bowie, Jennifer L. Texas Tech University (2003). Presentations>Education>Web Design>Gender

Eighteen Quick Tips for Designing Online Learning Exercises and Supplemental Information  

How do you develop effective online learning? This interactive half-day workshop introduces you to 18 techniques, including the must-ask questions of a needs analysis, the must-consider issues for writing objectives, different learning models you can incorporate into courses, ways to keep learners' attention, and tips for designing screens and writing for online presentation.

Carliner, Saul. Saul Carliner Studio (2003). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online

Elements of Ethos in Web Design  

When designing a complex online system, thoughtful use of appropriate prose style, information architecture and interface design all play a part in establishing a useful link between the designers of an online environment and the users of that environment. To keep users interested and engaged with the information in an online system, creating an engaging ethos for the site is essential. To learn how to apply ethos not only in prose style, but also in overall design, we must look to how ethos has been put to use in the past with the written and spoken word.

Damron, V. Michele, David Gillette and Dan Jones. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Web Design

Even Excellent Sites Benefit from Expert Reviews

Get the flavor of an Expert Review as Dr. Schaffer points out the strengths and weaknesses of 11 award-winning Web sites.

Schaffer, Eric M. and Phil Goddard. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>Web Design>Assessment

The Evolving Role Of Writers in Design  

The role of the writer is evolving as companies and teams evolve in what they produce and how they produce it. Web products demand the involvement of design-savvy writers, and GUI products in general demand writers ready to work within a design process. The writer not knowledgeable in design or design processes will not be ready to design in today’s software development environment. This paper examines one case study of writers’ involvement in the development of a GUI product and shows through the case study and through helpful tips how today’s writers can make a difference in product design.

Olsen, Eric. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Writing>Design

Focus on Simplicity

An IBM Ease of Use poster with the message 'Focus on Simplicity.'

IBM (1999). Design>Presentations>Posters>Minimalism

Free PowerPoint Templates  

These Free Powerpoint Templates are a great choice for a wide variety of presentation needs.

Chaw, Brandy. Powered Templates (2006). Presentations>Graphic Design>International>Microsoft PowerPoint

From Ice Cream to Mousetraps: Explaining Technical Communication to K-12 Students  

Technical communicators who desire to “spread the word” about their profession will find ready audiences in the educational institutions of their local communities. This paper examines techniques which the author has used in elementary, middle, and high schools to explain technical communication. They are techniques which require the students to do a simplified form of technical writing. The author also explains why doing these types of presentations is an enjoyable activity.

Crawley, Charles R. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design

Games, Information Design, and New Technologies for Technical Communicators  

Developments in communication technologies such as video scriptwriting and interactive multimedia require that technical communicators develop the skills and literacies necessary for adapting to the demands of designing information for media other than print. This paper presents a semiotic theory and model of multimedia discourse which will help technical communicators conceptualize and produce texts in new media. The model operates on the premise that communication practices can be considered as language games. The model focuses on the rhetorical and semiotic features of multimedia language games, and how to manipulate them.

Heba, Gary M. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Information Design>Multimedia>Games

Gathering Input for the Best Possible Prototype  

Prototyping has long been a part of the sofiware development process, but is still an underutilized aspect of documentation design, particularly for online design. Developing a detailed approach to prototyping lets writers design and confirm document usability early in the development cycle. Implementing detailed prototyping in an iterative design cycle ultimately leads to the best possible document for the audience.

Mobley, Karen L. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>User Centered Design>Usability

Graphic Design  

A primary technique to achieve improved user-interface is clear, distinct, consistent visible language.

Deshpande, Shashank. STC India (2003). Presentations>Graphic Design>User Interface

The Graphic Design of Text: A Review of Research  

Technical communicators can make reading easier by using type-design principles proven to enhance reading performance. This paper, based on the author’s master’s thesis of the same name, revealed research related to the graphic design of text and concluded that further research is needed to measure the impact of typography on readers (expert, intermediate, and novice) and the ways in which they read (to do, to read to learn, to read to assess, and to read to learn to do).

Matis, David W. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Typography>Graphic Design

Guidelines for Accessible Web Site: Technology and Users  

Accessible design goes beyond accommodating the mentally or physically impaired. With new technologies and greater global access, accessible design now includes technological as well as user considerations.

Ward, Michele, Philip Rubens and Sherry Southard. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Accessibility>Web Design

HCI Usability: Impact of Style, Graphics, and Quality on Web-Site Effectiveness  

The rampant growth of the WWW has resulted in a very large number of web sites being produced and used before standards and guidelines for appearance and interaction could be developed and accepted. Two factors that could affect user performance and perceived quality of a web site are: surface blemishes added, and the presence of extra, gratuitous features. The effects of these two factors can be assessed through performance testing and attitudinal surveys. the approach or design criteria for each site. We chose as a basis, a classification presented by Karen Schriver of traditions that have shaped our thinking about, and approach to, document design and evaluation.

Grice, Roger A., Lenore S. Ridgway and Raymond A. Lutzky. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Human Computer Interaction>Web Design

How Can You 'Insure' Usability? – Achieving Routine User-Centered Design for Anthem's 12 Million Members Worldwide

Discusses how Anthem attained the training, standards, and resources they needed to create a sustained usability effort.

Weinschenk, Susan and Kyle Tolar. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>Usability>User Centered Design

How Does E-Commerce Work?  

This paper explains what e-commerce is and the two different types of e-commerce. The advantages of e-commerce are covered along with the steps needed to setup e-commerce. The different forms of advertising over the internet is covered next. How internet security works is covered in detail including the use of digital certificates and SSL (secure sockets layer). The processing of payments over the internet is the last subject covered including the different ways to pay and how credit card transactions are processed.

Wokosin, Linda. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Information Design

How to Create a Poster that Graphically Communicates Your Message

Many of your presentations are not talks; they are posters. Are your posters effective? Do they attract enthusiastic audiences? Or, do they attract only competitors? This presentation shows both positive and negative examples to help you increase your clarity and impact.

Tosney, Kathryn. University of Miami. Design>Presentations>Posters

How to Create Web-Based Training (WBT)  

The market for Web-based Training (WBT) products and services is expected to grow from $197 million in 1997 to $5.5 billion in 2002. Many technical communicators and trainers are already interested in creating WBT, but they do not know how to get started. In this session, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of WBT, when to consider WBT, who is using it—and why, how much it costs to develop WBT, and design issues to consider. I will also share some WBT examples.

DeLoach, Scott. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online