In November, we are in for a real treat as STC Vice President Bernard Aschwanden joins us to share his Tech Comm Cheatsheet.
Tech Comm Cheatsheet
By using features most people don’t even think about, you can take a set of tools (for example, FrameMaker, Excel, and PowerPoint) and create a set of materials that let you track some initial metrics, build up reports, and track content in ways that the tool vendors never dreamed of. There are a dozen easy shortcuts (or more) that you can use with any toolset (even free ones like Google Docs), to simplify the work you do every day.
Want to quickly build a list of every graphic you have across 10 folders?
Need to know which of your procedural steps are WAY too long, but don’t want to manually go hunting?
If you often find yourself thinking, “it’s got to be easier,” then this is the session for you. The goal is to get you out the door with at least four new tricks to make your job easier.
Those who attend will be better positioned to use their tools to make life (at least in the world of documentation) easier. It’s not pretty, it’s not all that future friendly, or XML-based, or taking the newest tips in HTML5 to heart. But it’s useful. And useable. These are the tips that the experts in the field use to bypass so much of the manual time and effort that steals away your day. A dozen (or more) tips and tricks to get you humming as you get handed the next daunting task.
No one wants to do the manual and labor-intensive work that often goes into content analysis, report building, or file management. Sure, you can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a system to do the work for you, but really… Do you think you’ll get approved for that budget item? Just think about the discussion. “You want HOW much money to build a list of all our graphics? Don’t we have a co-op student who can do that?” Forget about it. Use these tips to make the daily grind relate to coffee, not to the work that you do at the office.
Meeting Specifics:
Tuesday, November 11
American Red Cross
(2700 Southwest Freeway)
Networking: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:30 p.m.
Light snacks and drinks (optional social gathering at a local restaurant after the program)
About Bernard Aschwanden
Bernard solves documentation based problems and helps companies generate more revenue. He guides clients through the best processes to create, manage, and deliver content. Once content is delivered, he helps socialize the message, understand and act on feedback, and improve the process and workflow.
He is the founder of Publishing Smarter, an Associate Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and the Vice President of STC. Bernard has helped hundreds of companies implement successful solutions. He is focused on publishing better, publishing faster, and publishing smarter.
