Technical Authoring Services

I work very closely with my clients to ensure that I completely understand the requirement and the product.

I deliver documentation that is simple, user-friendly and easy to understand for the target audience.

I work within your budget and timescale restraints. I can provide an all-inclusive price or work on an hourly basis as required.

The following are key factors when producing good documentation.

Document Standards and Design

Having well designed, attractive and user-friendly documentation is as important as the content itself.  I can offer advice and recommendation on style and structure taking into consideration such things as the target audience, disability or accessibility and the type of product or service.  It is also important to ensure consistency between all of your literature in order to reflect a solid and professional image.

Grammar, Punctuation, Diction and 'Tech Speak'

For documentation to be easily accessible to the target audience, it not only needs good presentation but also must be well written.

I am an experienced writer and I ensure that correct grammar, effective word use and accuracy of punctuation and spelling are used in my work. Most of all, I ensure a user will not be confused by technical terms or phrases.

Manuals, Instructions and Help Files

Whatever the medium, my speciality is to make sure that effective and understandable help is at hand to the user when they need it. I can present information with the target audience in mind, which ensures efficient acquisition and retention of knowledge.

Training Materials

All literature should be designed for a user to easily follow, understand, acquire and retain knowledge through a balance of style, presentation, graphics and text. It's also important to have the right tools for the job and the best medium for delivery. This includes manuals, prompt-sheets and presentations, as well as interactive and on-line training.

Release Notes

Every software or product release requires the users to easily understand what has changed. This ensures the user is forearmed with the knowledge they require to keep using the product.  It is also important that this information is kept updated within the core help-files, to ensure consistency of versions.

Brochures and Product Guides

They key to a good brochure is attractive and well designed product literature that easily and positively puts a message across, thereby effectively selling the product.

I have produced material for a variety of business-types, including food and catering menus, animal information sheets, software product feature brochures and business continuity risk manuals among many others. 

Presentations

A quality product presentation can sell a product as effectively, if not better than a brochure. In addition the added benefit of an e-brochure is that it can be easily distributed via email, website, CD/DVD, CD business card or other electronic means.

Business Cards

First impressions do count, and a quality business card can make all the difference. It is important to preserve consistency with your corporate image and make the card eye-catching, easy to read and explanatory.

Office Stationery

Invoices, delivery notes, labels, letterheads and other stationery need to be efficiently produced, attractive, consistent with corporate styling and most of all usable.

Production Methods

The efficient and consistent production and generation of information ensures that it is kept up-to-date and current and that a customer, client or user can receive it promptly.  I can advise on and recommend a number of different production methods, from the simple generation of documentation through Word via PDF, to something more sophisticated such as using Adobe Framemaker.

Delivery Techniques

The method of delivery is an important consideration to ensure that your users have the most up-to-date and current information available.  Whether delivery is through in-program help files, external HTML files or delivered by a Content Management System, I can help you deliver.

Read more about the benefits of 'thinking green'.

Translation and Language

While in in charge of the production of user manuals, training guides and system language files, I managed the translation of the documentation into a variety of languages such as French and Simplified Chinese. I can help create a set of translated documentation alongside the development of English based material, or organise the translation of existing documentation.

Websites and Content Authoring

The authoring of website content is important on a number of different levels. From ensuring that the visitor immediately understands what it is that you do, to putting across the right message to sell your product. Plus importantly the wording on the website has a huge effect on the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) ranking.

Its a balance between using the right combination of words with the correct density, repetition and phrasing that can make a website SEO friendly or not.

Whether authored in HTML or a CMS system I can help maintain your site and keep it up-to-date as required.

Additional Services (Photography etc)

Pictures often do speak a thousand words, and with product documentation a photograph or image can make all the difference to having a manual or guide that makes perfect sense.

I am a published photographer and do all of my own photography, from circuit boards, to hotel accommodation to food. Whatever the requirement, I have the equipment for the job.

For further information on my previous experience, please review my CV or get in touch to discuss how I can help you.