Technical writers are often responsible for creating and maintaining multiple documents. In organizations where a formal editorial review is integral to the documentation process, technical writers who own multiple documents might need to address a huge volume of editorial input, often received late in the documentation cycle. What do all of those editorial comments, when taken as a whole, really...read more...

Many companies are faced with the task of building their customer base, especially at the beginning of the year. However, acquiring customers is not one of the most desirable tasks for many companies, especially when related to cold calling. No one can correctly predict the direction a sales discussion will take. But the chance of converting the initial contact to a customer increases with...read more...

Almost all products are designed using 3D CAD programs today. However the data created is seldom utilized in technical writing, often for cost reasons. Another reason is the lack of technical knowledge about the technology with which the 3D illustrations are created. This article explains two ways of how 3D illustrations can be used in technical documentation, and gives an example each from...read more...

Many people pay special attention to how an object appears when they take it in their hand for the first time. This also applies to an instruction manual or guidebook. The title page has a great impact on your first impression. There are specific guidelines for its typographic design.read more...

Involving and connecting users is a trend that software manufacturers should not ignore while designing online Help. Although many Help systems are no longer stored in an isolated manner on the hard disk, but are currently available on the Internet, only a few authoring tools provide true Web 2.0 support. However, integrating a comment or evaluation feature is not rocket science and can be...read more...

“Where are they going?” This is what you might wonder when readers are wandering aimlessly through manuals. And why, you ask. Because a proper reading guide would have saved them from this wandering around. A reading guide creates optimum starting conditions, shows you where to go along the way and brings readers to the destination.read more...

Information models play a central role in the introduction of XML-based content management systems. Such a model contains a multitude of rules controlling the quality of structured contents and information processes; these rules could be based on industry-specific requirements, for example. Until now, there has been no standardized model for plant construction and mechanical engineering. That is...read more...