#20668
3D: A Better Way to Produce High Quality? 
Going three-dimensional in graphics has many advantages – at least in theory. Everyone knows how tired you will become of the same graphic element, however nicely drawn, when used over and over. Someone at the department has taken the time to get good reference-material and draws an airplane, a train or something else rather complicated, and of course the drawing gets stored for further use. The next time you need such an illustration you simply copy-paste the element into the new graphic.
VisualJournalism (2002). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration
#22107
Review: ABCs of E-Learning: Reaping the Benefits and Avoiding the Pitfalls 
I'm always skeptical when I first read the praise for a book, especially when a full page of testimonials is published just inside the front cover, as well as on the back. However, by the time I finished reading Brooke Broadbent's ABCs of E-Learning, I could've added my blurb of congratulations on a job well done.
Porter, Lynnette R. Technical Communication Online (2002). Articles>Reviews>Education>Online
#23699
Abundance and Joy through Job Enrichment
With the economic crunch affecting the workplace, many of us are being asked to perform additional tasks while facing the same tight deadlines. Dealing with this stress sometimes makes me feel bogged down and stuck in a cycle of drudgery.
Azis, Denise. MetroVoice (2002). Careers>TC
#29205
The Academic Job Market in Technical Communication, 2002-2003 
Analysis of the academic job market in 2002-2003 reveals that 118 nationally advertised academic jobs named technical or professional communication as a primary or secondary specialization. Of the 56 in the "primary" category that we were able to contact, we identified 42 jobs filled, 10 unfilled, and 4 pending. However, only 29% of the jobs for which technical or professional communication was the primary specialization were filled by people with degrees in the field, and an even lower percent (25%) of all jobs, whether advertised for a primary or secondary specialization, were filled by people with degrees in the field. Search chairs report a higher priority on teaching and research potential than on a particular research specialization, and 62% of all filled positions involve teaching in related areas (composition, literature, or other writing courses).
Rude, Carolyn D. and Kelli Cargile Cook. Technical Communication Quarterly (2002). Careers>Academic>TC>History
#19037
Accessibility Arguments Revisited
Frontend has recently completed the delivery of the first version (1.1) of the Irish National Disability Authority (NDA) IT Accessibility Guidelines. In the course of our work for the NDA over the last year we’ve talked to a wide variety groups and individuals who have an interest in accessibility and as a result of their input, our approach has shifted a little. Here’s what we found out.
Poskitt, Henry. Frontend Infocentre (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Usability
#19263
This paper identifies challenges for a user–centered design process with respect to infusing accessible design practices into electronic and information technology product development. Initially, it emphasizes that when user–centered design is paramount and concurrent with accessible design, electronic and information technology can be accessible for all. Next, it provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508. Last, it provides basic accessible design heuristics that can be integrated into the design process. It concludes with recommendations for a paramount and concurrent user–centered design approach to product development.
Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>User Centered Design>Accessibility>Usability
#22946
It pains me to say that pretty much any computer user with a relevant disability ought to be using Windows, not a Mac.
Clark, Joe. Tidbits (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Macintosh
#13545
Accessibility, Web Standards, and Authoring Tools
It's been a long trip, but we’re almost out of the dark. We finally have browsers that offer substantial support for several technologies established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and other standards bodies. Designers and developers can use many core features of XHTML and CSS and sometimes DHTML without worrying about the hazards of cross–browser chicanery. As browsers have evolved, it’s become easier to comply with the W3C’s Web Accessibility initiative (WAI) and, in the United States, with the amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 (commonly called “Section 508”).
Schmitt, Christopher. List Apart, A (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Standards
#22957
An Accessible Method of Hiding HTML Content
Though somewhat rare, there are occasions when the accessibility needs of screen reader users appear to be at odds with the needs of visual users. This kind of conflict occurs when Web developers put form elements inside of a data table matrix, when they want to use images as headings instead of text, and in other situations. Adding extra text helps screen reader users, but can complicate the visual layout, thus reducing understandability. One solution is to use CSS to hide the text from sighted users in a way that is still accessible to screen readers. The details of this technique are discussed, along with the technical reasoning behind it.
Bohman, Paul. WebAIM (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility
#22947
Accessible Web Pages: Advice for Educators
While educators have embraced the responsibility of providing equal access to educational resources to all students, Internet technology presents new challenges in this area. Students who have vision or hearing problems, who have difficulties with motor control, or who face other challenges, such as learning disabilities or language barriers, may find the Web difficult or impossible to explore.
Thombs, Margaret M. Syllabus (2002). Articles>Education>Accessibility>Online
#22949
Accountability of Accessibility and Usability
Focus on your users, all of them. Learn from mistakes currently made on the Web. If a user can't fill out a form, they can't buy anything from your site. People turned away by unusable sites will probably try a competitor's site. Don't be the site that turned people away. Make your Web site as usable and accessible as possible. It's the business savvy thing to do. It's the right thing to do. If you don't, someone just might force you legally to do it or threaten to sue.
Pavka, Anitra. Digital Web Magazine (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Usability
#13950
When the opportunity arose in 1990, I purchased a franchise from the Success Motivation Institute and presented literally hundreds of workshops on goal setting. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to finally achieve all my dreams through a business such as this. I learned about goal setting and Paul Meyer's Million Dollar Personal Success Plan. I loved the idea of teaching people how to help themselves become self-motivated and achieve their goals. But, there was a problem in my dream world. In order to run a business you must sell your products or services, and I simply hated being in sales! I just wouldn't get out and ask people to buy the goal setting plan. It wasn't that I didn't believe in it, because I do! When I finally started listening to myself as I taught others how to achieve happiness, I actually used goal setting to make the decision to give up that business and go back to technical writing.
Laurent, J. Suzanna. Prodigy (2002). Presentations>Slideshows>Technical Writing>Business Communication
#19005
Action point teorien et udviklet af Geoffrey Brown i 1999, og tager udgangspunkt i, at et website skal fokusere på brugerens mål med at besøge websitet. Ved brug af action point teorien vil brugeren få en mere positiv oplevelse, og derigennem vil websitet med større sandsynlighed blive besøgt igen, frem for at brugeren prøver et konkurrerende website.
Quark, The (2002). (Danish) Design>Web Design>Theory
#18799
ADA-508 Compliance and Usability Testing Techniques for Accessible Web Pages 
This scenario–based progression session will introduce basic usability testing concepts for developing accessible web pages, raise awareness of the need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508, and provide resources for further investigation. Emphasis will be given to interactive discussion that centers on requirements analysis for accessible design.
Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Section 508
#13775
Adding User Annotations to Help Topics
This article discusses a feature called User Annotations, whereby users can add their own custom notes to Help topics, and presents a method for implementing it in web pages or in HTML Help topics.
Gash, Dave. WritersUA (2002). Design>Documentation
#23129
L'aderenza agli Standard di Screen Reader e Browser Vocali
Uno studio comparativo di 5 prodotti evidenzia come Jaws di Freedom Scientific e Home Page Reader di IBM siano gli strumenti che meglio interpretano le linee guida per l'accessibilità web.
D'Amour, Jean-Marie and Catherine Ro. FucinaWeb (2002). (Italian) Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Web Browsers
#14973
Get up to speed on some of the exciting new features in Adobe® InDesign® 2.0 with the following tutorials. Each consists of a Flash movie as well as step-by-step instructions and sample files for download, so you can follow along within InDesign. For demonstrations of key features, take a video tour in the InDesign 2.0 overview.
Adobe (2002). Design>Document Design>Software>Adobe InDesign
#25126
Adopting Minimalism in a Corporate Environment
Minimalism is more a methodology or set of principles than a set of measurable qualities. In order for your writers to move to a minimalist approach to documentation, you must be able to explain what you mean by the term and what you expect from your writers.
Swallow, Lisa and Matt Laney. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism
#13631
Advanced Interactive Multimedia
A website from an undergraduate course on designing complex interactive multmedia for technical communicators.
Sauer, Geoffrey. University of Washington-Seattle (2002). Academic>Courses>Undergraduate
#21358
Adventures in Low Fidelity: Designing Search for Egreetings
One of the dirty little secrets about being an information architect is that most of us only bat .500 at best. We labor and agonize over making recommendations and designing information architectures that are supposed to change the world, but many of our designs never see the light of day. Rather than moan about why my designs were not implemented, I want to share my story.
Farnum, Chris. Boxes and Arrows (2002). Design>Web Design>Information Design>Search
#18322
I have seen the future and it works. We have just finished our first single-sourcing project using mif2go to convert FrameMaker source files to HTML Help *.chm files. These files are also the source of our printed user guide AND a hyperlinked PDF of the user guide placed on the distribution CD. There was considerable once-off pain setting up conversion templates (including CSS files) and conversion options but our next project will be much faster. The converted files DO NOT require ANY hand tweaking -- we just hand over to the release people to put the *.chm file on the installer CD. Our testing and support people are rapt, and consider the new help far better than the old help. An outsider would have no inkling that the help was produced in this way.
Finger, Hedley. InFrame (2002). Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing
#19009
Hvilket æstetisk grundbegreb kan virke som rettesnor i relation til en designproces og princippet om helhed? Om begrebet æstetik bør det først noteres, at det i denne sammenhæng på ingen måde må forholdes til den klassiske opfattelse etableret i aristotelisk forstand. Der er ingen grund til at blande så subjektive begreber som ”det gode / det onde” ind i en diskussion vedrørende en brugergrænseflade. Dette er naturligvis baseret på Platons lære om Mimesis , og den sande (vel egentligt transcendentale) form.
Quark, The (2002). (Danish) Design>Web Design>Aesthetics
#18392
The word 'affordance' was originally invented by the perceptual psychologist J. J. Gibson (1977, 1979) to refer to the actionable properties between the world and an actor (a person or animal). To Gibson, affordances are a relationship. They are a part of nature: they do not have to be visible, known, or desirable. Some affordances are yet to be discovered. Some are dangerous. I suspect that none of us know all the affordances of even everyday objects.
Norman, Donald A. JND.org (2002). Design>Usability
#27665
Questo libro risponde a due domande. La prima è "Perchè dovrei rendere più accessibile il mio sito?" E se non avete un sito web, questo libro non è per voi. La seconda domanda è "Come posso rendere il mio sito più accessibile?" Se non siete convinti della vostra prima risposta, non sarete di certo interessati alla seconda.
Pilgrim, Mark. Dive Into Accessibility (2002). (Italian) Books>Web Design>Accessibility
#19412
Age Classifications: When Considering the Age of Users, How Old is "Old"?
When considering the age of users – how old is 'old'?
Bailey, Robert. Web Usability (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Elderly