Effective infographics can say more with a picture than a thousand words. So how can technical writers use infographics most effectively? Although we’ve blogged about infographics before in the post Infographics: Information at a Glance, we’ve never applied them...
A surprising key to unlocking creativity might be the last thing you expect, and that is consistency. We might assume creative types are those who wait for inspiration to strike, then delve into a frenzy of creativity. The elusive...
Before you sit down at the keyboard to type your next technical document, consider these five tips to enhance the effectiveness of your writing: Planning Word Choice Clarity Brevity Simplicity Planning Take some time before you start to consider...
Haunting us from English classes past is the phrase “use active voice.” We hear the warning chains rattling in the halls of our memories, and a disembodied voice demands “no passive sentences.” Here’s where zombies come in handy. Zombies,...
Deadlines are notorious creativity saps. All the steady, measured progress we’ve made on a project suddenly seems inadequate when we’re faced with a looming deadline. If multitasking is typically a series of threads we follow throughout our day, now...
User guides are essentially a set of instructions. Most user guides contain standard style and formatting techniques. These guidelines ensure consistency and ease of reading. What you include in your user guide will depend on the audience of the...
In our fast-paced world, the apparent ability to multitask is a point of pride. Looking exhausted and frazzled are badges of honor. I say “apparent ability” because we are not really completing more tasks. The only things we are...
“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.” —Helen Keller The smell of rose-scented hand lotion instantly makes me think of my great-grandmother. I close my eyes, inhale...
No matter how hard you stare at your computer screen, no matter how long your fingers hover over the keyboard, some days the words refuse to flow. The innovative ideas you fell asleep with at the forefront of your...
Do you think of journaling as a pastime from a bygone era, filled with run-on sentences and ink blots? Think again. Bullet Journals are gaining huge popularity as an “analog system for a digital age.” If you understand the...