Produce Documentation that works, looks good and that is usable!

This two-day workshop provides many practical hints, tips and rules for writing clear documents that will actually be read and used.

Technical Writers create product instructions, reference and maintenance manuals, articles, project proposals, training materials, technical reports, catalogues, brochures, online documentation and help systems, Web pages, multimedia presentations, parts lists, assembly instructions, and sales promotion materials.

Writers must write in a concise and easy-to-read manner for consumer publications or in highly specialized language for experts. With the increased use of desktop publishing, Technical Writers are increasingly responsible for the publication process including graphics, layout, and document design.

TECHNICAL WRITERS compose communication from product developers for users of the products. Users include consumers as well as scientists, engineers, plant executives, line workers and production managers.

Course Objectives:

• Describe the essential elements of useable documentation
• Plan a document structure to meet the requirements
• Select an appropriate writing style
• Write a draft document
• Edit a document
• Able to produce clear, concise documents
• Confident in the planning of an effective document that will meet the user’s needs
• Able to constructively edit new and existing documentation

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

Business analysts, computer professionals and anyone involved in writing business systems documentation with a view to defining systems requirements and how to help end users use systems to their full potential.

Course Outline:

Day One

Producing The Technical Document

• Writing for the Particular Audience / Purpose
• Defining the need – who is the audience?
• Four Phases of Technical Writing Process
• Format and layout
• Title Selection and Introduction
• Section Summaries
• Paragraph transition statements
• Conclusion
• Diagramming your ideas
• Graphical outline diagrams
• Software tools

Tone Of Technical Papers

• Be technical and scientific in your tone
• Importance of character
• Demonstrate self-assurance and self confidence in your tone used in paper
• Use of First or Second Person in technical or scientific papers!
• Organising logical sequence
• Identifying important steps
• Jargon use and abuse
• Avoiding ‘Snow’
• Enhance Writing Creativity
• Using Graphical Outlines
• Grabbing Attention & Retaining Interest
• Mapping Out
• Readability check – the FOG index – how to measure readability
• Trade-offs: maintainability vs. usability; brevity vs. readability
• Accessibility – content listings, indexes, glossaries, summaries

Style Of Writing In Technical Papers

• Keep it Crisp
• Eliminate all Fluff and Fillers
• Economy of Words
• Simplicity
• Product knowledge
• Reader based writing techniques – using examples, task orientation, and conversational style
• Choosing an appropriate writing style
• Use of table diagrams and flowcharts

Day Two

Grammar And Punctuation

• Common usage errors
• Commas
• Transitions
• Paragraph & essay structure
• Colons & Semi-colons
• Active and passive voice
• Avoid Redundancy
• Variety
• Abbreviations
• The Colon and the Dash
• Parallel Structure
• The Most Common Usage Errors
• Italics or Quotation Marks?
• Effective Introductions
• Industry-specific words
• Improving your vocabulary
• The Process of Writing a Technical Manual
• Importance of a Good Vocabulary in Writing
• Sentence Construction
• Mistakes Technical Writers Make
• Writing Tips: Do's and Don'ts
• What the User Wants to Know
• Techno-specific words
• What the User Knows
• Writing documents and creating e-learning programs

Technical

• Management and User reviews
• Field testing the document for usability
• Production, distribution and maintenance
• Selecting appropriate printing methods
• Maintaining a distribution list
• Keeping documentation up-to-date

FEEDBACK TO EACH DELEGATE AFTER PRESENTATION
Personal Action Plan
Thanks and closedown

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