Using Microsoft Visio in Your Technical Writing
Using Microsoft Visio in Your Technical Writing
This user guide was created in Microsoft Word. The primary purpose of this document is to inform new and upcoming technical writers about what Microsoft Visio can be used for. It models how to use the tools within the program to achieve specific goals, such as reskinning a template or creating a diagram from scratch.
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My goal with this document was to balance visual content with narrative explanation since Microsoft Visio is a diagramming program itself. The table of contents contains anchor links that will take the user to the chapter that is most relevant to their situation. Helpful context is compiled in the introduction and the appendices respectively, according to the scope of the guide.
Hidden Windows Applications User Guide
Hidden Windows Applications User Guide
This user guide was created in MadCap Flare. It covers three common Windows applications that some users may not know come preinstalled on their computers: the Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, and Alarms and Clock. Each chapter covers one tool in full, exploring all of its functionality and settings.
This is a full user guide including front and end matter. It utilizes master page layouts and alternating styles of page numbers based on whether the page is a left-hand page or a right-hand page. The index and glossary were created according to standard practices, and I customized the font color of the headers with CSS.
Route Tagger Training Guide
Route Tagger Training Guide
A training guide intended to supplement the instruction of new hires taking up the Route Tagger position. I have removed references to the company's name for privacy. This document provides information on how to use plant equipment and the SPOT program, the types of services that the company offers, and the job's responsibilities and procedures.
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While I was creating this document, I focused on arranging the information in the order that the user would need it. I also used color to draw the eye to important elements within the document, and help the user distinguish between the different types of garment flags that they would need to use.
A Guide to Creating DnD Characters
A Guide to Creating DnD Characters
This user guide, created with Heretto (formerly easyDITA) assists new DnD players in creating a character. It shows readers how to get started on the D&D Beyond website and provides information on important jargon and concepts relevant to playing DnD.
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This guide was compiled from a DITAMap that contains reference, task, and concept topics. It focuses on adhering to single-source authoring principles and presenting clear information to the first-time user. The document contains conditional values and content references, and it distinguishes substeps that contain a choice from standard substeps within the numbered lists.
How to Get Started With Twine
A short introduction to an interactive fiction creation program called Twine. This how-to guide is meant to orient new users to the program and give them an overview of what they can accomplish with it. Covers creating a story, editing passages, linking passages, and testing the overall story to ensure it runs correctly.
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With this document, I strove toward keeping the content short and sweet so that new users could focus on launching right into their writing. Content for each section is no more than a page and focuses primarily on exploring the functions of Twine's built-in tools. I used a consistent naming convention with the headers to create a sense of uniformity and cohesion across the document. Balanced with the length of each section, these style choices result in a concise, clear read.
How to Apply a Clipping Mask With the Quick Selection Tool
A brief orientation to the quick selection tool in Adobe Photoshop for new users. This how-to guide covers setting up a workspace in a new document, using the quick selection tool to make a selection, refining that selection, and applying a clipping mask to the layer to make use of the selection.
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With this document, I wanted to select a specific tool function and explain it attentively, but concisely. The purpose of this exercise was to elaborate on a small topic in a more specific manner as opposed to writing about a topic that would be too broad for a user to focus on in one sitting.
Best Pet Tracking Technologies
A recommendation report regarding pet tracking technology. It evaluates five different products on the market and provides an overall product recommendation.
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I wrote this report with the framework of submitting it to a hypothetical veterinary clinic so that staff members could use it as a reference to confidently recommend products to their clients according to their needs. For me, this meant that my primary target audience was the clinic staff and my secondary audience was any clients to whom they provided the report. As such, my focus in writing this document was conducting thorough research and citing all information clearly so that my audience could verify its accuracy.
I explained the background context of active and passive pet tracking technology, the features of the five products, and the parameters of my comparison so that the document would be widely accessible to both audiences. The report is categorized and labeled clearly so that staff members can skip ahead to the sections that they need to read.