Information Design
Technical Communication – A Pandemic Influenza Scale that Does Not Work
Meaningful classification of information is one of the prime tasks in technical communication. By that standard, the WHO (World Health Organization) classification of the Swine Flu into “phases” fails the test since it does not give us an indication of the severity of the “pandemic” or suggest what should we do about it. But first…
Read MoreTranslation and Localization in a Recession
by Nabil Freij GlobalVision International I’ve answered many calls recently from localization managers complaining that their budgets are being cut, asking for advice. If you are suffering from the same symptom, here are a few pointers to consider. Don’t panic! In a recession, it is normal to cut budgets in an effort to reduce costs.…
Read MoreHow to Format Your Technical Documents Consistently With a Template
© Ugur Akinci A template is the heart, soul and backbone of any technical or business document. Consistency of documentation is what creates that subliminal sense of trust and confidence in the end-users. Someone once quipped: “it ain’t technical documentation if it ain’t boring.” This of course is not true since I always found technical…
Read MoreTechnical Writing – Wurman's LATCH Model of Information Organization For Technical Documentation
© Ugur Akinci Technical writing has its mechanical aspects that need to be mastered. A good technical writer must know how to use English effectively as well as various software products to produce acceptable technical documents. But I wish technical writing were all about that. The hardest part comes before one even sits down in…
Read MoreTechnical Writing – 7 Time-Tested Principles to Design a Cover For a Technical Document
© Ugur Akinci If you are a technical writer working for a company as a payroll employee, you might be working with corporate design guidelines that define what you can and cannot do to design the cover of your technical document. But what if you are a “lone writer,” an independent contractor working out of…
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How to Write and Publish for a Global Audience
Introduction It’s not always easy to write for a global audience. There are many steps to take in order to create a successful global audience. First, we need to consider our own language and how it’s often interpreted differently by other cultures. An article should be written in a way so that it reaches out…
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Bad “Information Design” Leads to Medical Errors
Introduction Information design is the process of arranging information in a way that is efficient and easy to understand. It is the process of designing the visual representation of information. Such design creates a visual hierarchy that makes it easy for readers to understand the content. Why Information Design is Important The following are some…
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