Documentation

It doesn't matter how good your product is, if you can't communicate well with your customers, you won't be successful. Good documentation can reduce support calls, increase customer satisfaction, and we've even seen excellent manuals used as tools to help close a sale!

We've done projects from small name-change edits up through entire suites of documentation, including marketing materials and help systems. Client projects include:

• End-user guides for submitting registration and insurance claims for a non-profit agency
• API Guide for server-based fax product
• Full set of documentation, including sales literature, for a browser-based lab test delivery system
• Online Help systems for medical software
• Introductory guide for mobile communications product
• Marketing Database software documentation, including user guides and training material
• Graphics for on-air weather product

To learn more about technical communication, see our STC page, or check out the TechWr-l list at http://www.raycomm.com. To find out how we can help you, contact writer@p-ndesigns.com.

Online Help

In addition to creating Help systems for clients, Brenda has also co-authored "RoboHelp for the Web" with John Hedtke. Available from Wordware Computer Books , this book and CD combination explains how to use the latest versions of eHelp's RoboHelp Enterprise and RoboHelp Office to create HTML and web-based help. The book covers the latest features in RoboHelp, including natural language search, team development support, and customizable look and feel using "skins." In addition, the book describes how to create server-based help with RoboHelp Enterprise. Server-based help allows the developer to maintain a company knowledge base and continually update the online help files.

"RoboHelp for the Web" is the only book on the market to cover RoboHelp Enterprise. The emphasis throughout the book is on how you, the writer or developer, can create web-based help quickly and easily. The book addresses all user levels. It provides the beginning user of RoboHelp Office and RoboHelp Enterprise with an introduction to the products and shows how to create HTML Help and WebHelp files. It shows intermediate and advanced users how to get the most out of the product and the ancillary tools. The book also describes how to create a corporate help base or enterprise-wide help from HTML or web-based help.

Magazine and Journal Articles

Brenda's latest article, "Increasing Visibility: Building Demand for Technical Communication Services," has just been posted on the techwr-l Web site at Raycomm.com/techwhirl. While you're there, check out the other terrific articles on the technical communications profession, and the popular techwr-l email list, run by Eric Ray.

The IEEE Professional Communications Society journal "IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication" recently published a book review by Brenda, but it isn't available online yet. Join IEEE-PCS, and you'll get the journal and lots of other great benefits all for one low price.

Documentation can be about more than just computers. American Window Cleaner Magazine has published a number of Brenda's articles. Check out Insurance, Safety, & Risk Management for Window Cleaners to see one of them.

Career Woman Magazine published one of Brenda's articles several years ago. Even though it's old--before the web was big--it does show some of the variety and options within the technical communications field. Read What if I Don't Want to Write Software Manuals?