Managing Multiple Deliverables with a Small Staff  

Managing multiple deliverables with a small staff is a discipline unto itself, different from those departments where each writer has specific responsibilities. In this environment, each member is required to have multiple skills and the flexibility to jump from one project to the next quickly. Because of the demands, heavy training costs are often incurred, and the involvement of other departments is mandatory, all of which makes management support essential. It is an exhilarating, often exhausting environment, but the rewards are multiple skills, a wide variety of assignments, and the satisfaction of being part of a tightly-knit, highly-productive team.

Beadle, Diane. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Collaboration>Workflow

Mapping Good Practices in and through Creative Praxis

The notion of 'good practice' was one of the most controversial we encountered in our attempts to create a set of helpful guidelines for the making and sharing of new media tools by and for artists.

Goodman, Lizbeth. AHDS Performing Arts (2006). Articles>TC>Workflow

Marking Up Bureaucracy

Needing to cope with its enormous needs for document and data exchange, the United States is looking more and more to XML. Paul Ford explains what happens when Washington meets markup.

Ford, Paul. XML.com (2003). Articles>Information Design>Workflow>Government

Multimedia Scripting: A Guide to the Process  

Beneath the glitz and glamour of multimedia technology is the need for well-written concepts and scripts to aid in the development and production process. Many who have written primarily for printed documents, however, often having difficulty adjusting to writing for a multimedia environment. To help make the transition clear, this workshop focuses on explaining the theory, concepts, and strategies for planning and writing multimedia scripts.

Heba, Gary M. STC Proceedings (1996). Design>Multimedia>Workflow

Review: Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces

If you want to learn about paper prototyping from a renowned practitioner then I highly recommend Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder. Snyder advocates paper prototyping because it’s easy to design (requires minimal drawing skills), cheap to create (needs only paper and markers), and offers and opportunity for developers and users to evaluate design concepts. If you wonder where the beginning of the design process starts, it begins when great minds meet and brainstorm ideas, and drawing is a natural approach to illustrate them.

Dick, David J. Usability Interface (2004). Resources>Reviews>Workflow

Plasma Screens: The Dynamic New Wave in Internal Communications  

Informing an organization's employees about key messages is essential to creating and maintaining an efficient and effective work force. To help your employees stay informed, consider broadcasting your organization’s news on plasma screens that are accessible to all employees.

Sacharen, Chani H. and Ettie Gilead. Intercom (2006). Articles>TC>Workplace>Workflow

The Problem, the Balloon, and the Four Bedroom House

Without a problem, there is no project. Where there is a problem, however, there is a stakeholder who is desperate for a solution and who has a delivery deadline — which is normally sometime yesterday. Find out how a good process can tame even the most unruly project.

Di Stefano, Joe. List Apart, A (2004). Articles>Project Management>Workflow

A Procedure Development Model  

Procedure development can be a challenging task, especially since the process of procedure development is not easily defined. The methodology portrayed in the Ten-Step Process for Procedure Development may serve as a useful model for you to adapt and customize.

Whitmer, Diane L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Workflow

Process Maps  

A poster-sized map showing the steps and deliverables through the UI/IA/UX project lifecycle. Maps various activities and deliverables against project roles and indicates major milestones. Excellent resource for educating clients (internal and external) about 'the process' and what to expect at each phase of the cycle. Two different 'takes' on the process are available for downloading.

Malone, Erin. AIfIA (2003). Design>Presentations>Posters>Workflow

Productivity in the Service Economy

Yes, it is possible for white-collar workers to work smarter and become more productive. While intranet usability provides substantial initial gains, workflow usability can go much further and will save millions of jobs.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2004). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Workflow

Project Definition and Scope  

A template for providing historical information, available industry research, initial scope, a rough schedule, and implementation plans for the proposed project. It should outline business objectives of the project. It is to be completed by the project requestor – usually a business stakeholder.

Malone, Erin. AIfIA (2003). Resources>Web Design>Project Management>Workflow

Project Overview  

A template to be completed by the experience design team lead in preparation of or as an attached document to Product Requirements documents. Information should be filled in to give an overview to project team who may be new to the project.

Malone, Erin. AIfIA (2003). Resources>Project Management>Workflow

Projects From Hell  

Have you ever been involved in a project that was a disaster from beginning to end? What went wrong? What did you learn from those problems? How did you either salvage the project or decide that it couldn’t be saved? These projects are horrible experiences at the time, but they offer many valuable lessons that can help each of us better manage our information development projects in the future.

Hansen, Lauren Y., Ruth T. Glaser, George F. Hayhoe and Sheila C. Jones. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Project Management>Workflow

Re-engineering the Documentation Process: Doing More with Less to Keep Up with Increased Customer Needs  

For the past ten years, the Documentation Department at Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. has undergone numerous changes and evolutions--many to keep up with changing technology and market needs, many to accommodate organizational shifts and restructuring. This presentation sheds light on some of the innovative and creative ways the department has been reorganized and the dynamic documentation strategies that have been put into practice as a result.

Belcher, Gena, Scott DeLoach and Juliette Jandel-Leavitt. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Workflow

Requirements of Content Management Systems: Definition According to Need

In all companies, the requirements of an editorial system are worked out individually from the analysis of existing functioning and the definition of editorial and publication processes required in the future. The first important criteria for analysis are change frequencies and degree of reuse of the published information. The description of the information types as well as translation sequences constitute another starting point for the definition of a modular work process (single-source principle) and publication options (cross-media publishing).

Ziegler, Wolfgang. tekom (2005). Articles>Content Management>Information Design>Workflow

Say Goodbye to "Webmaster", Say Hello to "Internet Strategist"

It is time to drop your title as Webmaster, and pick up something a bit more jazzy. How would you like to be an Internet Strategist or an Electronic Commerce Manager? The time is now to cast your new role. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the once ubiquitous 'Webmaster' position is a memory. There is a need for teams of people with broad skills, diverse knowledge, and an eye for the Internet future.

Rhodes, John S. WebWord (1999). Design>Web Design>Workflow

Self Evaluation Form  

On this form, record and evaluate your own involvement in a project. In the Log section, record the activities you performed as an individual and you performed as part of the group. For all activities, record the date and the number of hours you spent. In the Evaluation section, write two brief statements: one about aspects of your contribution you think were successful and one about the aspects you want to improve.

Markel, Mike. Bedford-St. Martin's (2001). Careers>Workplace>Workflow

Seven Things New Managers Must Do in the First 90 Days  

Discusses the creation of managed and sustainable workflow.

Hackos, JoAnn T. and Marty Williamson. ComTech Services (2000). Careers>Management>Collaboration>Workflow

Software Documentation Process - McGraw-Hill School Systems  

This panel presents the software documentation processes of three companies. At McGraw-Hill School Systems, the technical writers are involved in every stage of the software development life cycle. This approach ensures that writers are always in control of the information they need and that sufficient time is available for the documentation process. Our involvement allows us to produce high-quality documentation that is up-to-date with the software’s functionality.

Rogers, Anne E. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Workflow>Collaboration

Software Documentation Process-Datastream Systems, Inc.  

This panel presents the software documentation processes at 3 companies. At Datastream, a software development company with approximately 200 employees, we, the technical writers, have integrated ourselves into all stages of the software development process. Additionally, we have incorporated the tenets of document cycling into our documentation process. In this paper and in our presentation, we outline our documentation process. We do not prescribe our approach but instead hope that it sparks a dialog among software documentation writers in similar companies so that we may learn from each other.

Jeansonne, Jerold and Amy J. Listeman. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Workflow

Storyboard Tracking  

A storyboard is a tool used by teams to write documents. Information needed to create the document is posted on cork boards or walls in a designated room accessible to all team members. In this room, the document grows from outline, to draft, to a thoroughly reviewed final document. During its growth, the document can be tracked using a simple flagging system.

Moore, Shirley F. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Workplace>Workflow

Streamline Review Cycles

Acrobat's annotation tools are valuable for marking-up and commenting on design layouts and digital comps no matter where your client is located. Acrobat 6.0 goes a step further by integrating e-mail comment tracking for more efficient review cycles. Learn how to tap into these powerful features.

Knowlton, Gray. Creative Pro (2003). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Workflow

A Study on Collaborative Invention of Discourse among Disciplinary Experts: The Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. National Program for Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats as an Activity System  

Few studies have addressed processes of collaborative invention of discourse among experts. Experts engaged in a collaborative process of invention will express ideas, thoughts, and attitudes that shape other contexts. These other contexts may include those that engage risk communication and policy formation. If this process contributes to discourse formation in other areas, then it becomes critical to study the interactions of these experts.

Gooch, John C. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Scientific Communication>Workflow

Tasks and Operational Areas of Technical Illustrators

Technical illustrators are the link between the design engineer and the user. An illustrator is able to visualize technical issues in orientation to a specific target group and to prepare them for various media. This article will address how they do this, where their operational areas are, what tools they use, and what you can expect of a technical illustrator.

Kahl, Gabi. ITEDO Software (2002). Articles>Collaboration>Workflow>Technical Illustration