Best Practices

TDR03—Fouts — Compassion Wins More Hearts than Empathy

Compassion Wins More Hearts than Empathy

Mindfulness coach, Janet Fouts, helps you understand the difference between empathy and compassion and learn how being mindful can help you solve challenges for prospective and existing customers alike.

TDR05 — Kister — Science-Based Design in Technical Communication

Science-Based Design in Technical Communication

Information development maven, Tina Kister, introduces the science of good design; what works, what doesn’t, and why; and how to communicate about design so you can get it right.

TDR07 — Stegelin — Graphic Content Warning: The Pros, Cons, and Alternatives to Screenshots

Graphic Content Warning: The Pros, The Cons, and The Alternatives to Screenshots

Information architect, Steve Stegelin, challenges us to think outside the screenshot for more engaging and meaningful visuals that can contribute to the conversation.

TDR11 — Swisher — The Importance of Words in an Inclusive Workplace

The Importance of Words in an Inclusive Workplace

Val Swisher takes a look at the role that words play in our ability to understand others, and how we can better understand each other by being open to, acknowledging, and using different vocabularies.

TDR15 — Mantych — Building and Implementing an Experience-Focused Content Organization

Building and Implementing an Experience-Focused Content Organization

Toni Mantych explains how to develop more rigorous and repeatable processes for identifying our audiences and understanding their needs.

TDR16 — Saiff — Achieving Quality Content at Scale: Is Outsourcing the Solution?

Achieving Quality Content at Scale: Is Outsourcing the Solution?

Barry Saiff gives us a look at the reasons organizations outsource technical documentation, how they do it, and what works and what doesn't.

TDR20 — Hanna — Going Micro: Adapting Content for Intelligent Machines

Going Micro: Adapting Content for Intelligent Machines

Rob Hanna takes you on a journey from document-based authoring, to topic-based authoring, to block-based authoring, all the way to fact-based authoring.

TDR23 — Gelb — Turning your Documentation into Answers Using Taxonomy

Turning Documentation into Answers Using Taxonomy

Joe Gelb explores the role of taxonomy in providing excellent personalized content delivery.

TDR24 — Swisher — Crossing the Chasm: Why You Need Content Transformation to Have a Successful Content Strategy

Why You Need Content Transformation to Have a Successful Content Strategy

Val Swisher explores what it means to transform content and shares concrete steps you can take to begin preparing content for digital transformation.

TDR26 — Wood — You Might Already Be a UX Writer

You Might Already Be a UX Writer

Bobbie Wood explores how UX writers create a meaningful, essential product journey by speaking directly to users with well-chosen guidance and compassion at every step.

TDR30 — Sanchez — Component Content Management - What's the difference for writers?

Component Content Management - What's the Difference for Writers?

Peggy Sanchez helps us understand the changes required when moving from the traditional approach to creating unstructured technical documentation to creating structured XML content. You'll leave with a much better understanding of the people side of adopting a component content management system.

W6 — Kister — Using Science-Based Design in Technical Communication

[Half-Day Workshop] Using Science-Based Design in Technical Communication

In this half-day educational workshop, Tina Kister provides an introduction to the scientific principles of good design. You'll learn to objectively assess the quality and effectiveness of visual design, and you'll discover tips for communicating about design in ways that enable success.