This short film on youtube called “Validation” mesmerized me. If we applied these “validation” techniques to our interactions with SMEs, designers, and project managers, our world would certainly be different. The lead actor in the short film is TJ Thyne, the chemist on Bones.

On the Technical Writers of India listserv, someone is trying to get his company to realize the value of technical communication by showing a humorous video on bad documentation that he can use during training. “The idea is to evoke laughter, and keep the audience engaged throughout my presentation.” Okay, hands-down, this is the best video to show. Hat tip to Holly Harkness and Karen … more »

You know the scenario: you’ve been assigned a new application to document, and you arrange for the subject matter expert (SME) to demo it. But when you show up at the demo, the SME is on fast-forward, moving through each tab and screen on hyperdrive. From your perspective, the SME may sound like this: Soyoucandothisonthistab and fromhereiswhereyoudothat and makesureyoudocumenthowtodothis …. Before you know it, the … more »