5 Whys – what does this mean for Technical Authors?

The “5 Whys” is a question-and-answer technique used to discover the root cause of a defect or problem. It is an approach used in the Lean manufacturing methodology, as well as the Six Sigma business management strategy. Here’s an example of the 5 Whys technique: Problem: The vehicle will not start. Why? – The battery is dead…. Read more »

Education technology – Is this also the future for Technical Authors?

(Click on the image to enlarge) Edudemic has created an infographic outlining the likely future for education. Other education sites, such as Grockit.com, suggest the future of study will have three main strands: spend some time with experts spend time on your own, and spend time with your peers If education follow this path, will… Read more »

Free ebook on applying Lean principles in User Assistance

The Content Development team at Cherryleaf has created a a free eBook that provides help and advice on applying Lean principles to User Assistance. This short ebook explains how the principles of Lean manufacturing can be applied to developing software User Assistance and other forms of technical documentation. Lean is the parent/cousin of Agile Development,… Read more »

Writing as a career in IT

Here are the slides from our presentation to Year 10 children at The Matthew Arnold School in Staines-upon-Thames on writing as a career in IT. We looked at the different writing postions in companies, such as Apple, and then looked at the role of the Technical Author/Writer. The class had to write an instruction manual… Read more »