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InterChange 2018

By Viqui Dill

On October 26 and 27, the New England chapter held their annual InterChange regional conference at the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. IDL SIG members were well represented, both as attendees and as presenters.  

This year’s theme was “Engineering Experiences”. The conference website explains, “Technical communicators have always crafted stories and experiences for users using their words and technical expertise. As technology evolves, the need to craft effective and engaging experiences is more important than ever.”

Danielle Villegas, IDL SIG member and president of the STC Philadelphia Metro Chapter (STC-PMC), delivered the keynote, “What is Experience to a Technical Communicator?” Villegas shared several examples of content that was focused on user experience in popular culture, television (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), advertising (Sandals, Royal Caribbean), restaurants (Japanese steakhouses), technical manuals (Porsche) and even Ikea stores. She explained why each was effective and urged us look for opportunities to create experiences in our own deliverables.

Kelly Schrank, IDL SIG member and president of the STC Rochester chapter, delivered a session about “Engineering Your Networking Experiences” on Friday. Schrank gave tips about getting the most out of networking at conferences and other technical communications gatherings before, during, and after the event. She reassured the group that these events are not just about passive learning but are also great opportunities to make connections with other professionals. Schrank dispelled many myths about networking, including “some people like networking” and “some people are naturally good at it” and gave us actionable tips for setting goals, starting conversations, and remembering names.

Cindy Currie, STC past president (2009-2010), presented “Press Play! The Power of Personal Energy Management” and urged attendees to care for themselves physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Currie gave us five steps to personal wellness: boost energy; make a list, not a schedule; evaluate energy levels; set priorities; and be flexible.

Liz Fraley presented “Getting the Most out of TC Camp (or any Other Volunteer-driven Event)”, sharing the story of TC Camp and the TC Dojo, sharing tips on working with volunteers.

Viqui Dill (that’s me) presented “#PowerOfStory – The Cultural Program That got me Clicks” to close out the educational sessions on Friday. You can see my slides online and let me know what you think.    

Lou Prosperi presented two sessions about Imagineering. Session 1 was “Imagineering and Technical Communication: A Match Made in Disneyland” and introduced the Imagineering Pyramid. Session 2 was “Designing Your Experience the Walt Disney World Way” based on the Imagineering Process. Read his post about the event on his blog, The Imagineering Toolbox.

Liz Fraley presented again, this time delivering “The Future is Decided by Your Actions Today”. Fraley encouraged us to adapt to change, rather than waiting to be forced. Her presentation included tips for how to ask questions, listen, research, and think. She suggested adding the job description “TechComm Psychic” to our skillset.

Steven Jong, President of the New England chapter, presented again about generational differences in his “Writing and Working Across the Generations” session. Jong introduced us to the population pyramid and gave tips for engaging Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. See his slides and reference links on SlideShare.

Chuck Campbell, IDL SIG member and frequent conference speaker, presented “Engineering Better Training Experiences through Innovative Presentation Techniques and Technologies”. Campbell gave us a fresh look at PowerPoint presentations, showed us how to leverage simple animation techniques, and gave a demonstration of the Ipevo interactive whiteboard system.

Bernard Aschwanden, STC past president (2015-2016), presented “Create Once. Publish Many.” and took us through a live demonstration of interactive content strategy, development, and publishing.

After the conference, I went to dinner with fellow attendees Donna Riedman, Chuck Campbell, Kelly Schrank, Bernard Aschwanden, and my son Jim Dill.  The next day, Jim and I took a side trip to Maine. We look forward to attending InterChange every year. 

Congratulations on a great conference to all the planners and volunteers in the New England chapter.

See all the tweets from the conference under the hashtag #InterChange2018 and make plans to attend the next time in 2019.

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Programs update: Rockin’ the webinars!

by Viqui Dill, programs manager

Your friends in the IDL SIG have been busy gathering and producing educational webinars for our members.

Saying, “Yes, and… ” to Leadership Opportunities webinar with Ben Woelk

On November 11, Ben Woelk brought us encouragement for getting involved in STC. Watch the recording and tell us what you thought. Then consider stepping up to volunteer for the SIG.

Can You Hear Me Now? Podcasting as a Teaching Tool webinar with Jennifer Goode

On October 18, Dr. Jennifer Goode reprised her popular 2018 Summit presentation about podcasting. Even Hurricane Michael could not keep her down. Watch the recording and tell us what you thought.

Technological Adaptability Formalizing a Vital Skill webinar with Dr. Melonie McMichael

On September 13, Lonie McMichael taught us about an important skill, technological adaptability. Watch the recording and tell us what you thought.

Lights, Camera, Action! Exploring Video Basics for Non-Production Professionals with Beery and Barton

On August 13, Darcy Beery and Stacy Barton taught us about basic video recording. Watch the recording and tell us what you thought.

Teaching Technical Writing to Engineers —What Works? with Noel Atzmiller

On December 6, Noel Atzmiller showed us how to effectively teach engineers how to write. Watch the recording and tell us what you thought.

Do you have an idea?

We are always looking for speakers and ideas for topics. If you would like to speak, know of a good speaker, or have an idea for a good webinar topic, contact me directly at programs@stcidlsig.org. We would love to make you a star!

Upcoming Events

We Stoop to Conqquer: Adjusting to Mediocrity webinar with Li-At Rathbun

On January 24, Li-At Rathbun will present her popular Summit session, We Stoop to Conqquer: Adjusting to Mediocrity. Sign up on Eventbrite.

You can see the full list of upcoming events on our Facebook events page and can register there using Eventbrite for easy ticketing. Check it out https://www.facebook.com/pg/STCIDLSIG/events

Past Events

See our library of past events on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW68UREs2Cxs6KJUM7nZdtA/videos

And find the complete library of videos, slide decks, and handouts on our website http://www.stcidlsig.org/membership/webinars/free-recordings-of-idl-sig-webinars-for-members/

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January 24, 2019 We Stoop to Conqquer: Adjusting to Mediocrity webinar with Li-At Rathbun

Join us for the “We Stoop to Conqquer: Adjusting to Mediocrity” webinar with Li-At Rathbun.

10:30 am Pacific / 11:30 am Mountain / 12:30 pm Central / 1:30 pm Eastern

Thursday, January 24, 2019

About the webinar

When our boss or client says “good enough” work is good enough, shouldn’t it be good enough? Why is it a struggle to produce mediocre work when that’s what the customer wants? Yes, one day the powers-that-be will agree that all documentation must be flawless and superb. But how do we survive until that day comes? This session:

  • Explores reasons for why mediocre work might be okay
  • Teaches us a mantra—for those times we just need to hunker down and deliver so much less than what we’re capable of
  • Is a venting session! In our cone of silence, we will close our eyes, use anonymous names, and share our travails.

We will learn we are not alone in the trenches of mediocrity!* * No, of course you’ve never worked on a project of this sort; I’m talking to the others. You’ll just be there “to observe.”

We will be recording the webinar, so feel free to enjoy the presentation knowing that you can see the recording at a later date.

Intended Audience

The content will be introductory (e.g., > “101 level”) and will also be valuable to practitioner level attendees.

About the Speaker: Li-At Rathbun

Li-At Rathbun has over 20 years of technical communication experience (yes, since kindergarten). For the last eleven of those years, she’s worked primarily as the technical editor at Yardi Systems—an international software company.

Li-At is an STC Associate Fellow and she teaches the popular “Technical Editing Foundations” STC online course.

If you’re in Santa Barbara on the first Saturday of any given month, you might catch Li-At performing with Santa Barbara Improv. You can connect with Li-At on LinkedIn and Twitter (@virtual_li).

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December 7: Sixth Annual IDL SIG Virtual Open House

Announcement: Your IDL Leadership Team needs to reschedule this meeting for December 7.

We are so sorry for the inconvenience.

Virtual Open House Time!!!

As a virtual community, with all of our members scattered across the globe, we do not have the same opportunities as geographically-based communities to meet up face-to-face. Since 2013, we have hosted the IDL SIG Virtual Open House (VOH) so that new and prospective IDL SIG members could learn more about our community’s mission and goals, learn more about member benefits, and meet some of our leaders and volunteers.

During our VOH, participants have always had the opportunity to ask questions about the SIG and what we offer.

Virtual Party, too!

We’d like to combine our VOH with a virtual party (VP), where we would encourage all attendees to turn on their web cameras, share a photo or story. The VP (not be confused with Vice President!) we hope will add a very human, personal side to our VOH. Hey, it is all about making real, enduring connections!

About the webinar

The webinar will be recorded so feel free to watch with us online and then rewatch at your leisure. No need to take notes. If you cannot attend, sign up anyway so that you will get a link to the recording.

See the 2017 VOH recording on YouTube.

See the 2016 VOH recording on YouTube.

See the 2015 VOH recording on YouTube.

See the 2014 VOH recording on Adobe Connect.

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From the Editor Q32018

By Kelly Smith

At the 65th annual STC Summit In May, I had the great pleasure of volunteering to take the reins of IDeaL from former managing editor Crista Mohammed. In the months since, I have worked closely with the co-managers (Viqui Dill and Lori Meyer) and others to create this, my first issue of IDeaL.

At the SIG meeting in June, the group suggested that my first post as managing editor should include a brief autobiography, since I am relatively new to the STC and have not been very active in the SIG until now. I joined STC in 2015 and have attended every Summit since that first one in Columbus. I started out knowing almost nothing about the STC and knowing almost no one in the organization. Since then, I’ve made many friends and have learned more than I could possibly sum up. Each year I am struck by the diversity and vibrancy of our community.

My life as a technical communicator began when I volunteered to write a software user manual for a student project in 1996. Since then I moved from Canada to the United States to work and although my first job title was programmer analyst, I quickly transitioned into being “the writer” on every team I’ve been on. I eventually took some online classes and certifications to make my skills more official and since then, I have written two non-fiction books, have worked as senior editor for a national quilting magazine, and have written or edited hundreds of manuals, procedures, presentations, papers, and other IT and business-related documents, including other newsletters.

When I’m not working, I am studying to earn my MS in Technical Communication Management from Mercer University. I plan to graduate in 2019.

With that out of the way, welcome to the Q3 2018 issue of your IDL SIG Newsletter!

In this issue

Co-manager Lori Meyer congratulates people who have stepped into new roles within the SIG and puts out a request for new volunteers to fill several other roles. If you’d like to have a hand in running our SIG, now is the time to step forward! The SIG needs an assistant co-manager, a secretary, a membership manager, a social media and surveys manager, and a content curator. As you can see, there is ample opportunity to try your hand at a new skill, or provide your existing expertise to the SIG. In addition, the SIG has launched an awards program. Check out Lori’s article to find out more about all these topics.

In the Secretary’s Column Marcia Shannon discusses what dancers and technical communicators have in common.

Co-manager Viqui Dill wrote a wonderful recap of IDL SIG adventures at STC18 in Orlando, Florida. Be sure to check out her photos! In addition, Viqui provides us with a comprehensive review of Li-At Rathbun’s presentation “We Stoop to Conqquer: Adjusting to Mediocrity”. Viqui also provided us with a list of upcoming webinars on a wide range of topics.

Practitioner Rachel Musicante describes for us how she uses IDL concepts to enrich the lives of seniors in assisted living facilities. Rachel incorporates music and games to reach all the residents, even those suffering from dementia. Music really is the universal language.

Student Outreach Chairperson Sylvia Miller wrote about the IDL SIG’s Student Outreach program. This is a great opportunity for undergraduates and graduate students alike to have their work published here, and possibly in the TCBOK.

My classmate, Elizabeth Patterson, reviews Digital Media Ethics by Charles Ess. This book explores ethical issues encountered in digital media and would be a great resource for students, teachers, and any technical communicator who works with online content.

Jamye Sagan is preparing for the bi-annual demographic survey of IDL SIG members. In addition, she reminds everyone of our sixth annual Virtual Open House. Check out both articles for details. She also wrote a recap of three wonderful sessions from Summit ‘18. Check out her summaries of the sessions on introverted leaders, podcasting, and what we can learn from rock & roll.

About IDeaL: Design for Learning

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