Past Projects
Here are brief descriptions of some of our past projects. Contact us for more information about what we've done and can do for you.
If you would like to read about our projects, just click a link below.
Laselle-Ramsay - Network Equipment Provider Project (2006)
Laselle-Ramsay - PC Manufacturer Project (2005)
Performance Health Technologies, Inc. (2005)
Timing Solutions Corporation (2005)
LeftHand Networks, Inc. (2003)
Roxio, Inc. (formerly Adaptec, Inc.) (2000)
Chaparral Network Storage (2000)
Mainstay Software Corporation (1998)
Requisite Technology, Inc. (1998)
COBE Laboratories, Inc. (1997)
Applied Instructional Design (1995)
International System Strategies, Inc. (1995)
ProStor Systems, Inc.
Designed and wrote the user documentation, both PDF and online help, for the new InfiniVault Archive Appliance. Set up context-sensitive help links for each page and tab in the software user interface. Developed troubleshooting information for every button and LED on each of the three hardware models, to ensure that users can understand how to handle hardware issues that might arise.
Edited and suggested text for each page, tab, and alert in the software user interface to ensure consistency, clarity, and helpfulness of the user interface. Also provided feedback on the organization of some functions to help users find them.
Oak Hill Corporation
Designed the layout, fonts, pull quotes, and other page elements and did the final layout for a book published by Mercury Press and later Hewlett-Packard. Incorporated numerous graphics from a variety of sources including Excel and PowerPoint, and met challenging schedules for both the original project and the update.
Coordinated closely with the author, editor, proofreader, and graphic artist to make changes in a timely manner. Offered suggestions and edits on the content to help ensure that the final product was consistent and high quality.
Health Language, Inc. (2007)
Analyzed FrameMaker templates and made recommendations on styles that could be consolidated or simplified. Revised, added, and deleted styles to make the templates as efficient as possible to use.
Analyzed existing FrameMaker content files to determine styles used and to set up mapping from old styles to new styles. Mapping included paragraph, character, cross reference, and table styles, plus conditions, colors, variables, master pages, and reference pages. Used a script to efficiently convert the files to the new templates and ensured the conversion was clean.
Generally cleaned up all styles and formatting to ensure consistency and ease of use for future updates.
Laselle-Ramsay - Network Equipment Provider Project (2006)
Developed a customized WebWorks Publisher (WWP) template for a large PC manufacturer
that used custom colors and icons to match their Web site. Tested conversions using WWP
and existing FrameMaker (FM) content. Suggested and implemented FM template changes to
ensure that the FM books would convert smoothly to online help using WWP.
Also converted two books from RoboHelp to FrameMaker, bringing in all text and graphic
content and applying the proper FM styles.
Laselle-Ramsay - PC Manufacturer Project (2005)
Provided single-sourcing consulting and implementation for a network equipment
provider. Analyzed their FrameMaker (FM) style usage to determine which styles were being
used, which were not needed or did not conform to the existing template, and which
required changes to work well when converting content to online help. Used scripts to
efficiently convert the FM styles in four books to the approved styles. Recommended
additional format changes to ensure that tables and graphics would format correctly in the
online output.
Developed a custom WebWorks Publisher (WWP) template and tested converting each of the
four books to online help. Tested merging the four help outputs into a single, merged help
system. Troubleshot issues related to file and folder names in the help output and
resolved all issues. Used a script to remove underscores from the table of contents,
caused by the requirement for underscores in the folder names. Provided information to
developers about setting up context-sensitive help. Trained the client's writer on how to
use the WWP projects. Converted the final FM content to help on a fast turnaround to meet
the project deadline.
Performance Health Technologies, Inc.
Wrote both the online help, printed book, and set up poster for the new rehabilitation product, Core:Tx, ensuring that novice computer users would understand the content. The printed user guide included all of the hardware and software content. The online help focused on the software functions. Created all content in one set of files, using single sourcing tools to reuse the content for both formats, saving time and money.
Edited the content for the detailed example exercises to ensure consistency. Worked closely with and coordinated the efforts of a graphic designer who designed the printed book and poster, as well as detailed graphics of the product components. Managed the project due dates and budget to ensure that we met project objectives.
Included navigation links to enhance navigation in the online help version and indexed the content for both formats to aid the accessibility of the information. Also offered feedback on terminology and labels in the software user interface.
Timing Solutions Corporation
Designed and wrote the user guides for several timing and frequency distribution instruments. Gathered disparate content from previous manuals and subject matter experts. Edited and organized the content into user guides that followed a logical flow from installation and setup to monitoring and troubleshooting. Used task-oriented headings to make it easy to understand and follow the task flow.
Added graphics to show instrument components, various connection configurations, and graphical user interface use clearly. Provided feedback on product terminology and labels to aid consistency in usage.
Webroot Software, Inc.
Designed and wrote the online help and user guide for Window Washer 5.0. Used single sourcing to efficiently create the content for both HTML Help and PDF output. Described the product’s overall purpose and each option using language that novice computer users who purchase the product would understand. Kept up with numerous changes to the interface design and available options.
Also edited all text in the user interface, including tooltips, to help make the product as user friendly and consistent as possible.
LeftHand Networks, Inc.
Provided consulting and troubleshooting assistance to one writer on setting up a WebWorks Publisher Professional project to generate JavaHelp. Set up styles to handle notes, cautions, and tips. Helped troubleshoot conditional text, first topic issues, a variety of cascading style sheet issues, and setup of the JavaHelp environment.
DigitalMed
Taught one writer the key features and functions of FrameMaker and WebWorks Publisher Professional to help him learn both products quickly and efficiently. Tutorial sessions had to be short and targeted to the specific FrameMaker template design issues that were “must-know” topics. He had only a short time to learn FrameMaker and to write his content.
WebWorks Publisher Professional work included making template customizations to add breadcrumbs to each topic and make links from the table of contents go to the top of each topic. Also taught the writer how to use the Style Designer to set up styles, how to set up context-sensitive help, and conditional text, as well as other key features to permit him to generate help from the FrameMaker book.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Designed a FrameMaker template for the printed (PDF) version of the Sun™ ONE Active Server Pages 4.0 product manual including the table of contents, chapters, index, and glossary. Included special formats for tips, notes, and cautions and customized colors to match the company’s standard colors.
Designed and customized a WebWorks Publisher Professional template for the online help. Challenges included retaining the look and feel of previous versions as much as possible while complying with the Section 508 accessibility guidelines. Customizations included breadcrumbs automatically generated for each page, a banner with a graphic and links at the top of each page, and automatically generated “In This Section” topics for heading levels immediately below the current heading, and making the output look good in three different browser versions.
Converted about 500 pages of text from MS Word files to FrameMaker, applying the new template. Used scripts to automate the process, saving time and reducing errors. Performed manual spot checks and cleanup.
Converted the new FrameMaker book to online help using the new WebWorks Publisher template. Troubleshot issues and worked closely with my client to customize and tweak the output to meet the project’s needs.
Trained my client contact on key FrameMaker functions, WebWorks Publisher, and Acrobat issues. Ensured that my client gained experience and understanding of important concepts and functions to help make the transition. Provided ongoing consultation as needed.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Wrote three operating system-specific User’s Guides for the new multiplatform failover driver for one of Sun’s RAID products. Met the due dates for both releases despite the short development cycle and several last-minute changes each time.
Learned about the product and was one of the early testers of the graphical user interface (GUI) on three operating systems (Windows NT, HP-UX, and AIX). Offered feedback on GUI behavior, much of which was used to improve the interface.
Also edited release notes and internal service notes to improve and clarify the information provided by Engineering. Worked closely with the software engineers to ensure accuracy and completeness of all of the documentation.
Roxio, Inc.
Wrote the online help for DirectCD 5.0. Worked closely with other writers working on related products for the full Easy CD Creator release. Designed the help for use by consumers who buy CD-RW drives, but who do not know a lot about CD-RW technology. Worked hard to make the table of contents mirror the tasks users need to perform to use the product and to define terms that users may not know.
Chaparral Network Storage
Updated and rewrote portions of the User’s Guides for several router and RAID controller products. Restructured and rewrote the critical software configuration chapter of the router manual to make it task oriented and easier to understand.
Also improved the installation sections of the router manuals to fully explain all installation tasks. Most of the work had very short turnarounds that did not permit further rewrites.
QualMark Corporation
Designed and wrote the User Guide for the new Test Manager software that runs the QualMark test chamber. Ensured that the design worked for both the printed manual and online help. Worked closely with the developer to keep up with the many changes that were made until the release.
Also designed and wrote the operations manual that describes safety features, hardware, and software for the test chamber. Created a detailed index to permit users to find information easily and took a task-oriented approach to ensure clarity.
Mainstay Software, Inc.
Designed and wrote the User Guide for the new Windows version of PPAS (Proposal Pricing and Analysis System) to make the guide task-oriented and easier to use. Wrote more than 200 pages of text while the product continued to be developed and revised. Created a detailed index to permit fast access to information.
Designed the User Guide to also work as the online help file and as context-sensitive help within PPAS. Worked closely with the programmers to ensure that the help file worked in the Mainstay development environment. Also assisted with QA of the product, finding and reporting all bugs and error messages.
Datria Systems, Inc.
Designed and wrote the User Guide for VoCarta (Voice Recognition Data Collection System) making it task-oriented and easy to use. Wrote the text concurrent with product development which included many revisions. Provided numerous suggestions for improving the user interface design. Created a detailed index to permit fast access to information.
Designed the User Guide to also work as the online help file within VoCarta.
Requisite Technology, Inc.
Designed and wrote the printed manual and HTML-based online help for two new products. Oversaw the project in the absence of the documentation manager, working closely with another writer. Created the text in FrameMaker and converted it to HTML, as requested by the documentation manager. In just three months, designed both versions of the documentation, wrote the text for both products, and worked through the print to online conversion issues.
Designed the HTML-based online help to have a variety of navigation options, giving users several ways to find and view the information they want. Won an Award of Excellence from the Society for Technical Communication (STC) for the online help. Competition judges especially liked the navigation options, the detailed index, and the clear writing.
Indetec International
Designed and wrote the printed manual and online help for a telecommunications cost model for a large telecommunications company. Gathered information about the model from various personnel during development. Continue to update and improve the manual based on feedback from users, often requiring a fast turnaround.
Also designed the layout for the document that describes the methodology the model uses. Created a template and showed other writers how to use it, which saved all writers time. Drafted one section of the documentation while working against a deadline and pulling information from a variety of sources.
COBE Laboratories, Inc.
Edited various manuals for COBE’s dialysis and apheresis equipment, updating information and checking consistency. Performed edits in foreign language versions incorporating previously translated text into new versions of the manuals. Noticed terms used inconsistently in the foreign language texts and coordinated corrections with the translators and in-country personnel.
CADIS, Inc.
Restructured the system administration guide for the CADIS-PMX client/server product to make the guide task-oriented and easier to use. Edited and rewrote text to reduce the amount of text, where possible. Created a detailed index to permit fast access to information. Developed new formats to improve the page layout and readability. Wrote new sections to ensure that the guide covered all system administration functions.
Was asked to carry over document changes to two installation guides and two user guides that are still in progress and to look at converting the user guides to online formats. Also created a quick reference guide that gives users fast access to basic information and procedures.
Applied Instructional Design
Designed and wrote user documentation for a computer system used internally by Ralston Purina. Worked closely with a colleague to coordinate and complete the large project within the allotted time.
Documentation met the client’s need for both a user guide and training materials in one package. Also, assisted development staff in ensuring that terms throughout the system were used consistently.
International System Strategies, Inc.
Edited the student guide and overheads for a one-day class for Southwestern Bell Telephone. The edits made the guide clearer and easier to understand.
Delivered the pilot class which received excellent comments from the attendees and from the primary client. The class is now being offered to all of the target audience.
Ruess & Ruess
Wrote four computer-based training (CBT) modules to acquaint users with Emerson Motor Company’s complex computer system. The CBT task included deciding which screen to show, in what sequence, what area of the screen would be featured with the cursor or animated character, and what descriptive text would appear.
Developed informal documentation that coordinated with the CBT. The documentation consisted of screen shots for the primary screens with callouts describing the key fields and buttons. Also wrote a quick reference card to help users know where they are in a complex system with many layers of screens.
Comprose, Inc.
Developed student guides, class exercises, tests, training agendas, and instructor’s notes for a 15-day sales training curriculum for Didde Web Press. The curriculum includes six courses. Course topics range from product details of Didde’s own products to financial justification strategies and sales skills.
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Last update: April 4, 2008
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