Highlights: We'll introduce the audience with how to create a training for visual effectiveness for their teams based on our own experience with creating such a training. This workshop provides both theoretical knowledge and practical exercises that will help you to effectively build and lead a team for developing visual training materials. The workshop consists of the following parts:
Problem statement. The challenges most writers face when trying to increase the visual effectiveness of their content:
- Technical writers experience difficulties to determine which types of visuals to implement for their content, as well as what is the optimal number and place for these visuals.
- Most technical writers believe they don't have good design skills.
- Lack of appropriate and comprehensive trainings for visual effectiveness specifically targeted at technical communicators.
- Lack of knowledge about common design principles, tools, as well as unclear procedures and standards for implementing visuals in a doc set.
- Lack of predefined graphic templates which the technical communicators can effectively use.
The solution. Technical communications teams can create visual effectiveness trainings that address the specific needs of the writers and are aligned with the company's overall standards, strategy, and vision. We'll describe the process that teams can follow to create their own visuals training based on our experience:
- Form a team and determine the training development process.
- Determine the project objective, measurements, and possible threats.
- Organize the work between the team members.
- Create the first training draft.
- Pilot project – organization, collecting, and implementing feedback.
- Launch the training program.
- Maintain the training program - conducting follow-up surveys to constantly improve the training program
- Tips and tricks about how to lead the team toward success and keep their motivation strong. We'll also discuss ways to advertise your training.
Fun facts during the project:
- Ways to show appreciation and build the team - e-Card recognition
- Creating a project horoscope
- A personal gift surprise to show the leader's gratitude.
Highlights: The presentation will start with a problem statement including a discussion on the following areas that represent the technical communicators' pain points when creating graphics for their publications:
Low number or even complete lack of visuals in a technical documentation due to:
Technical communicators do not know where to start, what type of visuals to implement, and where is the most appropriate place in a document
Lack of skills to create visual elements – which graphic tools to use and how to work with them
Lack of knowledge about the common design principles
Lack of visual consistency that leads to bad user experience with the documentation
Various or inappropriate graphic tools being used when creating or updating visuals
The second part of the presentation will focus on identifying the best practices when creating graphics as follows:
Common design principles when creating diagrams – compositional flow, colors, shapes, font size, proportion of elements, whitespaces, alignment, proximity, arrows, legibility, and so on
Attributes that each visual element should consist of – titles, labels, icons, and so on
Ways to highlight important areas of a visual element
Ways to determine the complexity of a diagram and represent it in the most appropriate manner
The third and final part of the presentation will provide the audience with useful information about:
- What to consider and what questions to ask yourself before your start creating visuals
- Where and how to check whether the colors you use are compliant with the accessibility standards for people with sight impairment
- Additional information about how the visual elements in your publication improve your documentation SEO
The premier gathering event for all decision-makers and specialists in the field of technical communication in China.
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