Comments on: Lessons Learned with Quick Reference Guides: Timing and Truth http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/ The Latest Trends in Technical Communication Sat, 26 May 2012 12:14:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jonn http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-147928 Jonn Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:02:59 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-147928 Tom, Thanks for this article, as well as all the others relating to Quick Reference materials. I would love to see a technical writing book from you as well, you've helped me quite a bit! Cheers! Tom,

Thanks for this article, as well as all the others relating to Quick Reference materials. I would love to see a technical writing book from you as well, you’ve helped me quite a bit!

Cheers!

]]> By: Ben http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-138101 Ben Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:05:03 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-138101 I think the issues you discussed also speak to the importance of not relying solely on the designers and prototypes, but to also get into test versions of the system yourself and exercise it so that you know firsthand what the app actually does, not just what it was designed to do. The users are concerned with what it does, not what the designer wanted it to do, anyway. I think the issues you discussed also speak to the importance of not relying solely on the designers and prototypes, but to also get into test versions of the system yourself and exercise it so that you know firsthand what the app actually does, not just what it was designed to do. The users are concerned with what it does, not what the designer wanted it to do, anyway.

]]> By: Tom http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-138083 Tom Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:24:36 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-138083 Josh, thanks for dropping by my site and leaving a comment. I was thinking about your suggestion to write a textbook. It would be a great idea, if I could either find the time or land a really cushy book deal with an advance to make it worthwhile. With the quick reference guide format, I'm still learning quite a bit. There's a lot to know about information design. Overall, though, for students who want to learn some design skills, this is an excellent assignment for them because it's relatively short and you can easily tell good quick reference guides from poor ones. I usually flip through magazines looking for designs that catch my eye. The people who lay out magazines usually know what they're doing. Also, thanks for commenting on the jane-frustration video. We do have plans to go out this Friday. Josh, thanks for dropping by my site and leaving a comment. I was thinking about your suggestion to write a textbook. It would be a great idea, if I could either find the time or land a really cushy book deal with an advance to make it worthwhile. With the quick reference guide format, I’m still learning quite a bit. There’s a lot to know about information design. Overall, though, for students who want to learn some design skills, this is an excellent assignment for them because it’s relatively short and you can easily tell good quick reference guides from poor ones. I usually flip through magazines looking for designs that catch my eye. The people who lay out magazines usually know what they’re doing.

Also, thanks for commenting on the jane-frustration video. We do have plans to go out this Friday.

]]> By: Josh http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-138063 Josh Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:11:29 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-138063 Tom - today in my technical writing class, I'm introducing quick reference guides. I'm making the above post as well as "Quick Reference Guide Formats — Tips for Finding Attractive Layouts" and "Quick Reference Guides: The Poetry of Technical Writing" assigned reading. Have you considered writing a technical writing textbook? Most of the ones on the market address non-English majors who are taking some kind of advanced composition class, not aspiring technical writers who plan on writing as a career. Most of today's technical writing textbooks won't even mention quick reference guides, usability testing, or the progression of documents through a department. I've been teaching college technical writing for five years, and I've yet to find a textbook that addresses future technical writers as its primary audience. Instead, they all seem to address nursing majors and business majors and construction management majors who might have to do a little writing someday. I, along with hundreds of technical writing teachers, would jump all over a decent textbook for future technical writers. Tom – today in my technical writing class, I’m introducing quick reference guides. I’m making the above post as well as “Quick Reference Guide Formats — Tips for Finding Attractive Layouts” and “Quick Reference Guides: The Poetry of Technical Writing” assigned reading.

Have you considered writing a technical writing textbook? Most of the ones on the market address non-English majors who are taking some kind of advanced composition class, not aspiring technical writers who plan on writing as a career.

Most of today’s technical writing textbooks won’t even mention quick reference guides, usability testing, or the progression of documents through a department. I’ve been teaching college technical writing for five years, and I’ve yet to find a textbook that addresses future technical writers as its primary audience. Instead, they all seem to address nursing majors and business majors and construction management majors who might have to do a little writing someday.

I, along with hundreds of technical writing teachers, would jump all over a decent textbook for future technical writers.

]]> By: Tip for technical writers: do the ‘designy’ stuff last | Orion Spur http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-138034 Tip for technical writers: do the ‘designy’ stuff last | Orion Spur Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:00:18 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-138034 [...] Lessons Learned with Quick Reference Guides: Timing and Truth | I’d Rather Be Writing - Tom Jo... [...] [...] Lessons Learned with Quick Reference Guides: Timing and Truth | I’d Rather Be Writing – Tom Jo… [...]

]]> By: Links am Montag - Doku-Hotline - Birgit Grossmann über Texte, Technik und technische Dokumentation http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-138024 Links am Montag - Doku-Hotline - Birgit Grossmann über Texte, Technik und technische Dokumentation Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:36:33 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-138024 [...] Aus dem Leben eines Techwriters: Lessons Learned with Quick Reference Guides: Timing and Truth [...] [...] Aus dem Leben eines Techwriters: Lessons Learned with Quick Reference Guides: Timing and Truth [...]

]]> By: Tom http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-138009 Tom Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:58:49 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-138009 Thanks for commenting, Ed. I usually do single source my content when I start in Flare. The problem is, the layout for the two-page content in Indesign is usually so highly formatted and visual that it's hard to use the same content as the online help, but that's something I'm definitely moving towards. Thanks. Thanks for commenting, Ed. I usually do single source my content when I start in Flare. The problem is, the layout for the two-page content in Indesign is usually so highly formatted and visual that it’s hard to use the same content as the online help, but that’s something I’m definitely moving towards. Thanks.

]]> By: Ed http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-137983 Ed Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:32:50 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-137983 Sounds like a lot of work (and long hours). Next time, consider single-sourcing. Then, when the content changes (and we all know it will), at least you'll only have to update it in one place. I've never used Indesign, so I don't know off the top of my head how it would work in a single-sourcing workflow, but you don't have to use anything expensive and complex to do it--a simple Access database and a few Word files would do the trick, depending on your needs and resources. Right now at work, we're producing technical manuals and associated quick-reference cards for two products. We use FrameMaker and a few utilities for ouput into different formats. We maintain one set of source files for each product and we've set up the topics that will appear in both the technical manuals and the quick-reference cards as text insets. When we need to produce each output, we just switch templates and produce output in whichever format we need. Easy cheesy. Sounds like a lot of work (and long hours). Next time, consider single-sourcing. Then, when the content changes (and we all know it will), at least you’ll only have to update it in one place. I’ve never used Indesign, so I don’t know off the top of my head how it would work in a single-sourcing workflow, but you don’t have to use anything expensive and complex to do it–a simple Access database and a few Word files would do the trick, depending on your needs and resources.

Right now at work, we’re producing technical manuals and associated quick-reference cards for two products. We use FrameMaker and a few utilities for ouput into different formats. We maintain one set of source files for each product and we’ve set up the topics that will appear in both the technical manuals and the quick-reference cards as text insets. When we need to produce each output, we just switch templates and produce output in whichever format we need. Easy cheesy.

]]> By: Craig http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-137966 Craig Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:13:22 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-137966 I'm still in the middle of creating my first quick start guide. It hasn't been that quick, which nullifies the first word right away! I'll let you know how it turns out. I’m still in the middle of creating my first quick start guide. It hasn’t been that quick, which nullifies the first word right away! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

]]> By: Troy http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/26/lessons-learned-with-quick-reference-guides-timing-and-information-flux/comment-page-1/#comment-137965 Troy Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:09:51 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3042#comment-137965 I'd say that another important lesson I've learned from quick start guides is always, always, discuss scope at the beginning. I've had a number of quick start guides turn into to actual help files because each stakeholder wanted their own stuff in the document. On another note, did you consider a video tutorial/screencast for this type of information? I’d say that another important lesson I’ve learned from quick start guides is always, always, discuss scope at the beginning. I’ve had a number of quick start guides turn into to actual help files because each stakeholder wanted their own stuff in the document.

On another note, did you consider a video tutorial/screencast for this type of information?

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