Planning and Information Foraging Theories and Their Value to the Novice Technical Communicator    

Two complementary cognitive theories help to explain how novice technical communicators learn effective search methods: information foraging theory, a model of information-seeking behavior that combines human-computer interaction with anthropological constructs; and strategic planning theory, a communication model of how humans plan and achieve social goals. The paper includes an extended example of how a new communicator might learn to use both models on the job.

Gattis, Lyn. Journal of Computer Documentation (2002). Articles>Communication>Planning

Planning and Information Foraging Theories: Social Implications and Extensions    

Information foraging theory and strategic planning theory can help technical communicators think about effective research methods. A broader understanding of social theory can complement Gattis's approach by adding considerations related to underlying ideological assumptions and to how research practices are situated in the larger contexts of organizations, communities, and cultures.

Jack, Jordynn. Journal of Computer Documentation (2002). Articles>Communication>Planning

Planning Your Flash Animations

Before you start developing a Flash animation, it is a good practice to write out a plan of action. The reason is that any type of software development can be complex. Good planning helps to avoid mistakes that may be difficult to find and fix.

Kurtus, Ron. School for Champions (2002). Design>Multimedia>Planning>Flash

Planning your Future

A few years ago, a manager of mine gave me the assignment to work on a five-year career plan. I had never created a career plan before (not even to plot out goals for the coming year), so I was completely unprepared for how and why I should do this.

Malone, Erin. Boxes and Arrows (2004). Careers>Management>Planning

Playing to Win: Building a Strategic Plan  

This workshop uses games to provide an overview of strategic planning. The first step in strategic planning is identifying the objectives of your project. Participants play a version of musical chairs to identify and prioritize objectives. The second step is developing a vision of meeting those objectives. Participants play a version of darts. The third step is building the plan that fulfills the vision. Participants play a board game to create the best plan with limited resources.

Merritt, Leila and Emanuel Katzin. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Management>Project Management>Planning

Playing to Win: Building a Strategic Plan  

This workshop uses games to provide an overview of strategic planning. The first step in strategic planning is identifying the objectives of your organization. Participants play a version of musical chairs to identify and prioritize the objectives of STC. The second step is developing a vision ofyour organization meeting its goals. Participants play a version of darts as they develop a picture of STC fulfilling its objectives. The third step is building the plan that will fulfill the vision. Participants play a board game whose object is to create the best plan with limited resources.

Collins, Trevor and Leila Merritt. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Management>Planning

A Practical Approach to Web Site Design  

Successful Web site design is accomplished by a team of professionals who: Define the business requirements for the site; Analyze the audiences; Collect content; Organize the site information; Develop a concept; Define the navigation system; Define the labeling system; Create blueprints and wire frames; Test the models; Create content maps. The matching of business needs to user needs should be your ultimate definition of a successful site.

Klepfer, Lori J. STC Proceedings (2003). Design>Web Design>Planning>Collaboration

Preparing to Index

Before starting to write the index, take some time to absorb the overall gist of what’s being said and how things relate one to another.

Brown, Fred. Allegro Time! (2001). Articles>Indexing>Planning

Producing a Multimedia Product-Planning Phase  

Today, multimedia has become a popular way to present information. Many times it increases the effectiveness of the message. Many aspects of the message and its target audience need to be examined to determine if multimedia is the best media. If it is, planning becomes crucial in the process of developing a multimedia project.

Henke, Kristine A. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>Multimedia>Planning

A Question of Process

When we consider the right questions to ask in usability, we first think of the questions we should ask our users and stakeholders. This line of questioning is a necessary part of our jobs. However, I have seen few articles outside of the ROI of usability discussions where usability professionals ask questions about the usability of our own processes and approaches.

Bachmann, Karen L. Usability Interface (2005). Articles>Usability>Planning

Quick CSS Mockups with Photoshop

You need to make a set of web design mockups for your client. You'd like to find an easy way to show these mockups in clean XHTML and CSS code, because plain JPGs don't convey the full sense of the design, and sliced tables are evil. In fact, let's forget table slices ever existed. This article is for people who need to produce valid, standards-compliant mockups quickly, with the graphics tools they already use.

Voogt, Casper. List Apart, A (2007). Design>Web Design>Planning>CSS

The Quiet Death of the Major Re-Launch

Companies would often hire new outside firms to create and execute these new designs, abandoning the firm that made the previous design. The new firms would try to top the existing design with something dramatically different and attention-grabbing. After all, if you can't notice any change, why did it cost so much?

Spool, Jared M. User Interface Engineering (2003). Articles>Web Design>Planning

Reinventing Yourself for the New Millenium  

Organizations are changing their model of employment. The current trend is toward one comprised of a small, highly leveraged, multi-skilled internal staff complemented by an external staff of independent contractors. The Information Age is in its twilight, giving rise to the Age of Knowledge. The Internet has made us all members of a potential virtual workplace, and Web careers abound for technical writers.

Szatkowski, Carol A. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>TC>Planning

Requirements

User and usability requirements should be well-defined and integrated into relevant product requirements specification. The purposes of usability methods at this stage are to collect information about the user interface, users, tasks and environments, and to agree what aspects should be formalised as requirements.

UsabilityNet. Resources>Usability>Planning>Project Management

Resources for Writing Business Plans

A business plan is a document used to start a new business or get funding for a business that is changing in some significant way. Business plans are important documents for business partners who need to agree upon and document their plans, government officials who may need to approve aspects of the plan, and of course potential investors such as banks or private individuals who may decide to fund the business or its expansion.

McMurrey, David A. Illuminati Online (2001). Articles>Business Communication>Planning>Writing

Selling Usability: Scope and Schedule Estimates  

Describes how to create an effective plan and estimate for usability activities. 'A plan and an estimate,' McDaniel writes, 'will go a long way toward persuading management that user-centered design is a desirable approach to building a user interface.'

McDaniel, Scott M. Intercom (2003). Articles>Usability>Planning>Estimating

Setting the Stage: Planning a Web Development Project  

You have a potential project that has just dropped into your lap. The client (or your boss) asks you the deadly question: 'How much time is this going to take, and how much is it going to cost?' What is the first step you take in identifying the actual costs and timing associated with the project? How much information do you need up front in order to generate a realistic proposal? What other elements do you need to incorporate into the proposal to ensure you can say 'yes' to the project without getting into over your head? This handout has been developed to help you make the right decisions and organize your existing information in a comprehensive manner allowing you to properly identify scope, budget and timing to 'set the stage' before beginning an actual Web project.

Goto, Kelly. GotoMedia (2001). Design>Web Design>Planning

Site Planning Basics: What You Should Know Before You Design a Site

Good sites don't start in a web creation program, they start in your head. Before you even touch your web software, you need to get in touch with the reasons why you want to build a site and what you want it to accomplish.

Will-Harris, Daniel. eFuse (2003). Design>Web Design>Planning

The Six Biggest Mistakes Project Managers Make with Documentation and How to Avoid Them

Professional business writers, such as technical authors, typically break a document down into small, discrete units of information, organised around a skeleton of topic headings. If you use this 'component' or 'modular' approach, you can plan and structure the document using the heading 'labels' that describe each section.

Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2007). Articles>Documentation>Planning>Project Management

A Stake in the Ground: A Successful Approach to Project Estimating and Tracking  

Project management is an increasingly important skill for technical communicators. Specifically, by accurately estimating and tracking projects we can help justify resources, identify areas to improve cycle times, or even justify the existence of jobs. Estimating projects occurs early in the process during the analyze and plan phases. It improves with practice. Tracking is done throughout the entire process, although a majority of the data are gathered during the development phase. Successful estimating and tracking includes these elements: identifying estimating metrics, projecting project life cycle costs and hours, recording actual hours and costs, comparing estimates to actuals, and documenting improvements based on experience.

Friend, Amy S. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Project Management>Planning>Estimating

Starting and Sustaining Usability Activities in a Company  

This panel presents our experience in starting and sustaining usability activities in different size companies. Some of these activities include educating others about usability, performing task analysis, testing prototypes of new user interfaces, writing usability specifications, and conducting both formal and informal usability tests. We will answer common questions about starting a usability program.

Fisher, Judith R. and Chauncey E. Wilson. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Usability>Planning>Workplace

Steps of Web Site Development

Development and maintenance of a good Web site implies many consecutive steps involving various actors. These actors all have their own objectives and understanding of the process, but all are supposedly commited to the same overall goal: building the best possible Web site given the set of constraints.

Dubost, Karl. W3C (2003). Design>Web Design>Planning

Steps to a Successful Interview: Preparation

In an interview, you want to find out about the position and the environment, give job-related information about yourself, and leave a good impression, all while being relaxed. That’s a tall order for anyone, so we hope our advice and anecdotes will help you survive—or even thrive—in an interview.

O'Keefe, Karen, Rebecca Forrest and Jean Fudge. Between the Lines (2007). Careers>Interviewing>Planning