Documentation by design
To
design effective electronic documents requires a comprehensive and methodical
approach that takes advantage of the speed and storage capacity of the computer
while accounting for the many differences between the paper page and the display
screen. This two-day course will teach the basics of good information
architecture and page design.
Designing Electronic Documents takes an in-depth look at the problems encountered
when designing online documents and help systems. And it provides solutions to
those problems. Plus, it teaches you how to develop a production process that
ensures efficient development and consistent results.
Length:
2 days. This workshop is also available in a one-day or a three-day version. The
one-day workshop would consist of your choice of topics from the two-day
version. The three-day workshop would include more workshop activities using
your material.
Taught by: William Horton
On-site base price: US$9,000, inside North America, for 25
students. For customization and variations, see our
classroom training overview.
Virtual workshop base price: US$3000/day. Learners may download
their handouts and order the textbook either from us or amazon.com.
To schedule this course: Call Kit at
+1.303.545.6964 or e-mail kit@horton.com.
Who should attend
This seminar is for anyone who must convey documentation, support, or training
electronically. It is for:
- Technical writers
- Information architects
- Trainers
- Web
page designers
- ... and their managers
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What does this course cover?
This course covers how to navigate the design maze of creating effective
electronic documents. Topics include
- What are electronic documents?
- How they differ from paper
- Myths about electronic documents
- What should and should not go online
- Types of electronic documents
- Organizing electronic documents
- Chunking into topics
- Linking electronically
- Clustering topics for special purposes
- Making information accessible
- Menus
- Indexes
- Information retrieval
- Context sensitivity
- Full-text search
- Writing for the electronic medium: Style guide for a new rhetoric
- Displaying online documents: The screen is not the page
- Designing effective graphics
- Adding interactivity and
feedback to your documents
- Developing an efficient production process
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How will I learn?
This is a structured, but fast-paced course. It is brains-on rather than
hands-on. We will be actively discussing and considering design issues, not
operating particular software. You will examine and critique dozens of
real-world examples, view animated presentations of crucial concepts, and engage
in group and individual activities.
Variants and customizations
We can adapt the basic workshop to better fit your specific needs:
- Base major activities on your materials (+ $1000 USD).
- Use your materials as examples throughout (Call for price).
- Critique your current work (adds 1 day, $2000 USD).
- Base workshop on a critique of your work (+ $4000 USD).
- Redesign your current work (adds 1 day, $2000 USD).
- Video-recording for replay by other members of your department (+ $4000 USD).
- Follow-up Webinars (+ $1000 USD per 90-minute Webinar).
- Hands-on computer exercises using laptop computers or a computer lab. (Call for
pricing and requirements).
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What else will I receive?
Besides the knowledge and skills you acquire, you will receive:
- Extensive course notes, including pictures of the slides, design forms, and
job-aids.
- William Horton's best selling book,
Designing and Writing Online Documentation.
- Web access to many of the examples shown in class.
- Membership in
HORTON.COMmunity for further online discussions on the subject of this course.
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Audiovisual requirements
To successfully present this course at your location, we will need the following:
- Computer screen projector with 1024 x 768 NATIVE resolution. Some
projectors can project 1024 x 768, but only by stretching or shrinking the
output to a different scale. These projectors will not work.
- Speaker and amplifier for computer sounds. Must be able to take output
from the computer's stereo-mini plug.
It would be nice to also have high-speed Internet access for showing live
examples. We will need to get through your routers and around
your firewall.
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Related resources
Here are some related resources you might find useful:
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