The Cherryleaf Podcast

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In this episode, Ellis Pratt talks with Ben French, leadership development consultant and business coach, about compassionate compliance: how leaders can use policies, procedures, and regulation to protect their people and meet legal obligations without creating a culture of surveillance, bureaucracy, or micromanagement.

Drawing on their shared experience of helping organisations develop clearer policies and ways of working, Ben and Ellis explore why compliance so often feels like the enemy of good work. They discuss the points at which organisations typically start to struggle with compliance, especially as they grow, prepare for investment, face audit requirements, or need to satisfy external regulators and funders.

They also look at how policies can support better decision-making, why simplification is often more effective than adding more rules, and how leaders can balance oversight with autonomy so people still feel trusted to do their jobs.

Topics covered include:

Why growing organisations often experience friction around compliance and decision-making
How external scrutiny from investors, auditors, regulators, or funders can change the way organisations manage risk
The difference between information that satisfies auditors and guidance that helps staff do the work
How over-policing processes can damage morale, slow down decisions, and reduce ownership
Why compassionate compliance means leaders absorbing risk rather than simply passing it down to frontline staff
The role of policy in setting boundaries while still allowing people to use judgement
How AI creates new challenges around responsibility, decision-making, and “cognitive surrender”
Why good policies should be living documents that are reviewed, simplified, and pruned over time

Ben also shares examples from organisations that have struggled with overly complex compliance processes, and discusses where leaders should start when they inherit a broken compliance culture: listening to staff, identifying legal requirements, understanding what assurance the board really needs, removing unnecessary rules, and prioritising work based on risk.

Find out more about Ben French at ben-french.com Visit Cherryleaf at cherryleaf.com

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In this episode, Ginny Critcher talks with Ben French, leadership development consultant and business coach, about what it really takes to transition an organisation from founder-led to a more structured, process-driven way of working.

Drawing on their shared experience working with a global football organisation, Ben and Ginny explore the tension between preserving the culture that made a company successful and introducing the processes needed to help it grow — or survive contraction. They discuss when organisations typically need to make this shift, why getting the calibration of process right matters as much as having process at all, and how documenting culture and policy are really the same thing.

Topics covered include:

Why organisations of around 10–30 people often hit a tipping point
The challenge of adapting central frameworks to work across different countries and cultures
How external consultants can help organisations ask the right questions — not just do the work
The role of decision-making clarity in shaping culture
How to communicate that policy is always a work in progress

Ben also shares what he's been working on since, including a project with the British government focused on embedding new behaviours as different parts of the Foreign Office come together.

Find out more about Ben French at ben-french.com Visit Cherryleaf at cherryleaf.com

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When two companies merge, the announcement typically focuses on synergies, market share, and shareholder value. What gets far less attention, until it becomes a problem, is the intricate work of actually integrating two distinct organisations into a functioning whole. At the heart of this challenge lies something seemingly mundane but absolutely critical: policies and procedures.

The integration blueprint for any merger or acquisition must address not only systems and structures, and also the fundamental question of how work gets done.

It’s here, in the weeds of operational detail, that many integrations stumble.

See also our blog post

https://www.cherryleaf.com/2026/02/ma-integration-blueprint-why-procedures-matter-more-than-you-think/

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In this episode, we explore how AI is reshaping the technical writing profession and what skills will matter most in the coming years. While AI dominates the conversation about the future, we dig deeper into what this means for technical writers, documentation strategy, and career development.

Summary:

The role of technical communicator is evolving from document creator to strategic orchestrator of complex information ecosystems. Success requires:

Proactivity: Identify problems and initiate solutions rather than waiting for direction
Strategic thinking: Design information experiences, not just documents
Technical depth: Level varies by organization and documentation type
Data literacy: Evaluate success through analytics
Persuasion: Influence stakeholders and gain buy-in for your vision

The person filling this role might come from technical writing, UX/UI, content strategy, or training backgrounds, whoever can demonstrate the necessary skills first.

Links:

Nano Banana Pro is the “ChatGPT Moment” for Visual Communication
Generative UI
The “Engineering” of the Technical Writer
Documentation Product Management: Does the AI Era Demand a New Discipline?
Managing and mastering documentation projects with AI course

Cherryleaf

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High-quality documentation reduces support costs and drives product adoption, but traditional feedback methods often fail to capture the full user experience.

This episode explores how modern documentation teams are combining AI simulation with human research to understand how different users interact with their docs.

Key topics1. The problem with traditional feedback 2. Understanding your user archetypes 3. Traditional testing methods that still work 4. AI user simulation: The new frontier 5. AI limitations to remember 6. The winning strategy: Hybrid approach

Resources mentioned* Reader-simulator by Casey Smith (open-source): github.com/caseyrfsmith/reader-simulator * Impersonaid by Fabrizio Ferri: github.com/theletterf/impersonaid * Cherryleaf course: Managing and Mastering Documentation Projects with AI

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This episode explores common time sinks in technical writing and practical solutions to streamline documentation workflows, with a focus on automation and AI tools.

Key topics coveredCommon time sinks identified:

Chasing reviewers and SMEs for feedback
Constantly shifting priorities and expectations
Version control and format conversions (especially markdown/Word)
Unproductive meetings
Documenting features too early (before testing is complete)
Tracking requests and managing follow-ups
Time zone coordination challenges
Working with poor or incomplete requirements

Solutions and strategies:

Content operations approach - Strategic framework examining people, processes, and technology in content production
Four solution categories:
- Remove bottlenecks from processes
- Reduce friction for collaborators
- Delegate and spread workload
- Automate repetitive manual tasks
- AI and Intelligent Agents - Moving beyond traditional automation to tools that can adapt and make decisions
- Implementation tips:
- Focus on high-impact, repetitive tasks first
- Track metrics to measure real-world impact
- Use phased rollout approach
- Maintain human oversight and accountability
- Remember: augment, don't replace

Upcoming events* TCUK Conference (Nov 24-25) - Presentation on automation in technical writing * New course launch: "Managing and Mastering Documentation Projects with AI" (pilot: Nov 3-4)

About CherryleafCherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company.

Cherryleaf

Cherryleaf Newsletter

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In this episode of the Cherryleaf podcast, we look at how learning and how teaching is changing. We're going to see a change, and probably a rapid change in what content, staff, and users are given.

We'll post a transcript of this episode to the Cherryleaf blog.

About CherryleafCherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company.

Cherryleaf

Cherryleaf Newsletter

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In this special episode of the Cherryleaf Podcast, we're doing something a little different - a curated roundup of recent news, tools, research, and resources especially relevant to technical communicators.

🔔 Highlights & Topics Covered:🆕 TechSmith Launches Camtasia Online

🛠 Vale Linter Introduces “Views” Feature

📄 Netflix’s Documentation Approach
We review “Documentation that Developers Actually Read: The Netflix Approach” by Pratjem Naik.

♿ Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Card Deck
Johannes Lehner’s printable & digital card deck for WCAG 2.2 helps with accessibility workshops and planning.

🤖 The Impact of Generative AI on Work Tasks
Stanford & World Bank research shows how AI dramatically reduces time needed for tasks like repair and installation.

🔗 Microsoft Learn Docs & MCP (Model Context Protocol)
New tool allows GitHub Copilot and other AI tools to retrieve contextually accurate, real-time Microsoft documentation.
📹 Includes highlights from Peter de Bruyne’s YouTube demo

📊 Google Adds AI-Powered Features to Google Sheets
Google Sheets now supports Gemini-powered prompts to analyse and generate personalised content based on spreadsheet data.

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About CherryleafCherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company.

Cherryleaf

Cherryleaf Newsletter

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The way users want to access information may be undergoing a seismic shift. Some have suggested technical communication is rapidly moving towards a question-and-answer (Q&A) paradigm.

As user behaviour moves away from reading and towards asking, we discuss how chatbots, AI, and Q&A-driven interfaces are reshaping the expectations and responsibilities of technical communicators.

Takeaway quote:
"It’s not about crafting a list of 20 questions. It’s about building a robust knowledge system that can handle any question and deliver meaningful answers."

Resources

Michael Andrews and Ardis Ramey on Q&A communication paradigms
UK Government Digital Service post: FAQs: why we don’t have them
Statistics on voice and search behaviour
Cherryleaf Newsletter

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About CherryleafCherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company.

Cherryleaf

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In this episode, we dive into responses to the evolving digital landscape shaped by AI in search engines and changes in social media.

We explain how Cherryleaf took inspiration from the viral success of the Museum of English Rural Life (Merl) and used AI chatbots to analyse Merl's approach.

We share the key lessons learned - such as embracing an authentic voice, leveraging unique content, blending education with entertainment, and encouraging engagement - and details how Cherryleaf adapted these for a technical writing services company.

Discover the creative content pieces we've launched, including "Technical Writer Superpowers," "Technical Writing Bingo," and "Dungeons and Documents," and hear about the initial results in terms of engagement and reach. We also discuss future plans and how other organisations can adopt similar strategies.

Technical Writer Superpowers
Technical Writing Bingo
Dungeons and Documents
Technical writing jargon explained: 📦 Single-sourcing
Cherryleaf Newsletter

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🔍 Episode OverviewIn this episode, Ellis explores how AI agents, especially autonomous AI agents, are reshaping the landscape of technical communication. What are they? How do they differ from traditional AI tools? And crucially, what does their rise mean for technical writers?

Blending two recent blog posts, Ellis walks us through emerging tools like Manus, Opera's browser AI, and AgentQL, and what these changes mean for how we create, structure, and deliver documentation.

🧠 What You'll Learn* What AI agents and autonomous AI agents are — and how they're evolving * The four key traits of autonomous agents: * Insights from new AI tools

🧰 Impact on Technical WritersEllis explores three main ways AI agents could change the role of technical authors:

Content for Autonomous AI Consumption
- Structuring content for AI readability
- Multimodal delivery (text, audio, UI elements)
- Built-in accessibility for dynamic adaptation
- Documentation as Agent-Ready Data
- Writing docs as if they were APIs
- Emphasis on semantic structure, metadata, and clarity
- AI Agents as Co-Creators
- Personalised content generation
- Agent-driven feedback loops
- Enhanced content curation and adaptation tools

🗨️ Key Quotes"Autonomous is the key word. It signifies something that’s self-governing, that can operate independently, with little human oversight."

"The real transformative potential of AI lies in autonomous AI agents."

"Rather than being replaced, technical writers could become the architects of AI understanding."

🔗 Resources & Links* 📄 Blog post: The Rise of Autonomous AI Agents * 📄 Blog post: Meet Your Future Co-Worker – AI Agents * 🌐 Manus AI * 🌐 Opera’s AI-Powered Browser Agent * 🎤 Rachel Lee Nabors on AgentQL * The Race Is On to Redesign Everything for AI Agents * 📧 Contact: info@cherryleaf.com * A transcript will be posted to our blog.

📢 Stay ConnectedFor more insights into the future of tech comms, AI tools, and professional development for technical writers, visit cherryleaf.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Summary:

In this episode, Ellis Pratt explores the critical issue of data privacy for technical writers using AI tools and chatbots. He delves into the potential risks, from data leaks and copyright infringement to compliance violations and intellectual property concerns. The episode also provides practical solutions and strategies for mitigating these risks, empowering technical writers to leverage AI responsibly and ethically.

Key Discussion Points:

The Promise and Peril of AI: AI offers significant productivity gains for technical writers (content creation, first drafts, automation of tasks), but introduces critical privacy risks.
Potential Risks of Using AI:
- Data Leaks: Inputted data becoming part of the AI model, accessible to others.
- Copyright Infringement: AI generating content based on competitor data.
- Data Breaches: Risk of AI providers being hacked.
- Data Sovereignty: Data stored in different countries potentially conflicting with regulations.
- Compliance Violations: Risks related to regulated industries (healthcare, finance).
- Intellectual Property Rights: Ambiguity over who owns AI-generated content.
- Practical Solutions and Mitigation Strategies:
- Sanitising Content: Replace sensitive data (API keys, product names) with placeholders.
- Generic Examples: Use generic rather than actual customer data.
- Limiting Data Input: Provide only the minimum amount of data required.
- Review and Redact: Carefully review content before inputting to AI.
- Check Public Domain Status: Determine if the content is already publicly available.
- AI Provider Privacy Policies: Review data retention policies and opt-out options.
- Choosing Secure Tools: Select tools with better data deletion options (e.g., Google GeminiAI Studio, Claude).
- Managing Data Controls: Understand how to control data collection settings (e.g., ChatGPT).
- Private/Managed LLMs: Consider private, self-hosted, or managed AI models for sensitive data.
- Develop Policies and Procedures: Create guidelines for team use of AI, tiered approaches based on document sensitivity.
- Content Filters: Implement filters to check for sensitive information.
- Audits and Assessments: Engage IT security for impact assessments and security audits.

Actionable Takeaways:

Prioritise Data Sanitisation: Make it a core practice before using any AI tool.
Review Privacy Policies: Understand the data handling practices of your AI providers.
Implement Security Measures: Protect proprietary and confidential information through policies, technology, and human oversight.
Collaborate with Security and Legal: Engage relevant internal teams to ensure compliance and minimize risk.
Start Small and Stay Informed: Gradually introduce AI with low-risk documentation and keep up to date on the latest privacy risks and solutions.

Quotes:

"AI and chatbots offer in technical writing…a huge promise of a way to be more efficient and more effective in what we do. But…we do need to be aware that there is a privacy risk, and we need to address that."
"AI…is both a powerful productivity tool and a potential risk. So we need to think about those two aspects and manage it."
"So we're going to be on a tightrope, a privacy tightrope."

Want Help Improving Your Documentation?Cherryleaf specializes in fixing developer portals and technical documentation. If you're struggling with user feedback, contact us at info@cherryleaf.com for expert guidance.

CC Flickr image: Stock Catalog

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In this episode of the Cherryleaf Podcast, we explore the challenges of receiving and responding to criticism as a technical writer. Documentation plays a crucial role in user experience, and receiving feedback—whether constructive or harsh—can be an opportunity for growth. We discuss practical strategies for handling feedback, evaluating its validity, and implementing improvements to enhance documentation quality.

Key Topics Covered:✅ Why receiving feedback (even negative) is better than receiving none
✅ How to separate personal feelings from professional criticism
✅ The importance of acknowledging user feedback and addressing concerns
✅ Types of criticism: Constructive vs. Unconstructive
✅ Methods for evaluating the validity of feedback
✅ Tools and techniques to measure documentation quality (e.g., IBM Quality Matrix, analytics, usability testing)
✅ Addressing common documentation challenges: clarity, findability, audience mismatch, and linking
✅ Steps for implementing improvements and tracking their impact
✅ Preventative measures for reducing future criticism

Key Takeaways:* Criticism is not personal – It’s about improving the documentation, not attacking the writer. * Acknowledging feedback is crucial to building trust and ensuring continuous improvement. * Evaluating feedback critically helps differentiate between valid concerns and personal preferences. * Quality measurement techniques (analytics, support ticket trends, usability testing) can validate feedback. * Structured improvements through linking, clearer writing, audience targeting, and prioritization can make a big impact. * Continuous monitoring is necessary to ensure long-term effectiveness.

Mentioned Resources & Tools:🔹 IBM Quality Matrix for documentation assessment
🔹 "Every Page is Page One" by Mark Baker
🔹 Google Analytics & support ticket analysis for measuring documentation success
🔹 Usability testing tools (e.g., video session tracking)
🔹 Style guides, templates, and content governance

Want Help Improving Your Documentation?Cherryleaf specializes in fixing developer portals and technical documentation. If you're struggling with user feedback, contact us at info@cherryleaf.com for expert guidance.

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In this episode, we reflect on 2024's trends and explore what may be coming in the world of technical writing and content development in 2025. From the impact of AI to evolving policy requirements and shifting market dynamics, we look into the key factors shaping the field.

Reflections on 2024
- Overview of the year's major trends in technical writing and client demands.
- Changes in government spending and its influence on projects.
- Increased demand for documentation in AI, e-commerce, and SaaS sectors.
- AI and Technical Writing
- How generative AI is reshaping technical documentation workflows.
- Specific use cases for AI in content creation.
- Challenges and potential pitfalls of AI-based solutions like chatbots.
- Policy and Procedure Writing
- Emerging legal requirements influencing documentation needs.
- Shifting from static policy documents to active communication projects.
- Training and Development
- Future Trends and Predictions
- The growing importance of API documentation and developer portals.
- Increasing focus on user-friendly, contextually aware documentation.
- The interplay of economic trends and cross-border trade on technical writing projects.

Get Involved
Have your own ideas about the future of technical writing? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out via email or connect with us on our social platforms. Email: info@cherryleaf.com for enquiries or to share your predictions for 2025.

Thank you for tuning in! We wish all our listeners a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming episodes.

Website: Cherryleaf.com

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In this episode, Ellis discusses the importance of networking and meeting other technical communicators, especially for those who work solo or in small teams. He explores various avenues for connecting with industry peers, from conferences and meetups to virtual groups and informal gatherings.

Key Topics Discussed:

Challenges of Solo Technical Communicators
Many technical writers in the UK work alone or in small teams, limiting opportunities for professional exchange.
Conferences & Meetups
- Ellis mentions conferences like TCUK and Tekom and describes the more casual atmosphere of meetups, such as those organised by ISTC and Write The Docs London.
- London-based events like ISTC’s monthly gatherings and Write The Docs London meetups, which feature speakers, presentations, and networking sessions.
- Benefits of Attending Events
- Navigating Networking for Introverts
- Tips on starting conversations, showing empathy, and practicing conversational balance to ease networking anxiety.
- Write The Docs London Event Recap
- Highlights from recent presentations by Neo4j’s David Oliver on building a documentation team and Mark Woulfe on using dashboards to analyze documentation performance.
- Alternative Networking Ideas
- Tips for Speaking at Meetups
- Final Thoughts

Connect with Ellis Pratt:

Website: Cherryleaf.com
Social Media: LinkedIn and other platforms (search "Ellis Pratt")

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We explore an intriguing development in content creation: AI-generated audio from technical documentation.

We’ve prepared two examples to showcase this technology, and we discuss its potential impact and applications.

We used the user guide for Audacity, the popular audio editing application, to generate an AI-narrated overview:

https://youtu.be/yPlfAPpqGuw?si=cCJeZ-hfvg_o--fg

We also created an audio overview of Transport for London’s API using only their OpenAPI (Swagger) file as the source:

https://youtu.be/-j1yiFz8-Tc?si=WaRHpn0mgID8J4qX

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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In this episode of the Cherryleaf podcast, we explore the latest trends in technical communication as revealed by an in-depth analysis of conference themes from 2024.

By examining data from leading events such as Tekom, TC World, LavaCon, and the STC Summit, we identify eight major themes shaping the industry, with a surprising dominance of AI and generative technologies.

Listen in to understand how these trends are influencing content strategy, user experience, compliance, and more, and learn how to position yourself at the forefront of these developments in technical communication.

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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Remember the excitement when ChatGPT burst onto the scene? Suddenly, it seemed like AI was going to revolutionise everything, including our field of technical communication.

But now, 18 months and six Cherryleaf AI podcast episodes later, we're asking the big question: Was it all just hype?

You've probably heard some folks saying AI isn't delivering the promised return on investment. And others swearing it's changing the game. So, what's the real story?

In this episode, we'll examine these claims through the lens of technical writing. We'll:

Examine recent claims about AI's lack of ROI
Explore how these claims stack up in the world of technical writing
Look at the potential benefits and pitfalls of AI for our work
Discuss what factors might influence whether AI is worth the investment

Whether you're an AI enthusiast or a sceptic, stick around. Let’s figure out where AI really stands in the world of technical documentation.

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Goldman Sachs

https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/gs-research/gen-ai-too-much-spend-too-little-benefit/report.pdf?

Ed Zitron

https://www.wheresyoured.at/pop-culture/

Ethan Mollick:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d35e72fcff15f0001b48fc2/t/668d08608a0d4574b039bdea/1720518756159/chatgpt-full.pdf

https://x.com/emollick/status/1815563452640854093

MadCap Software

https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/madcap-ixaccms-ai-positron/

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We've created some YouTube Shorts on promoting the value of techcomm. We talk about the process of creating the videos and the content in the videos.

See also:

Cherryleaf's YouTube Shorts

Uncovering and communicating the value of your tech comm teams' work, with Keren Brown

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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In April 2023, we conducted a survey into the use of AI and ChatGPT in technical communications. We thought it would be interesting to carry out a similar survey again.

In this podcast, we talk about the results from the survey and describe what has changed over the last 12 months.

We'll post a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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This month's podcast looks at the language of persuasion and how technical authors can use it.

What do we mean by persuasive language? What is nudging and are we as technical authors able to use this type of language?

As part of the research for this podcast I watched some public information films and read articles which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations, authors and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast:

The British Film Institute (BFI) has a comprehensive catalogue of public information films as well as much other entertaining and informative material. You can watch the ones mentioned in the podcast by following the links below:
Lonely water film
Green Cross Code film
AIDS awareness film
Internet shopping film
Marco Janicke's article "Who listens to safety instructions anyway" in TC World
More info about Marco
Nest leaf information

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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In this episode, we look at the current demand for contract Technical Authors in the UK, using statistics from ITJobsWatch.net. We look at the the number of vacancies and whether this has affected the rates offered.

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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This month's podcast looks at how large organisations create useful, informative content which is accessible to a wide, often global, audience.

As part of the research for this podcast I looked at various websites which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast:

Panasonic
Ikea
Gov.uk
Fast Company

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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This month's podcast looks at what is involved in a corporate re-brand and what is involved for technical authors if their organisation decides to rebrand.

What is a corporate brand? And what is involved when an organisation decides to rebrand?

As part of the research for this podcast we looked at various websites which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast:

indeed.com has lots of informative articles, their article on the importance of branding was very informative: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/rebranding
Profile tree are a web design and digital marketing company with lots of great posts about digital marketing strategy: https://profiletree.com/why-rebrand/
Madcap Flare is help authoring tool widely used in the technical authoring community and beyond: https://help.madcapsoftware.com/flare2023r2/Content/Flare/Branding/Branding.htm

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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Welcome to the first episode of 2024!

In this exciting instalment, we dive deep into the evolving world of e-ink writing devices. Will these gadgets gain momentum in the tech world?

We explore their rising popularity and forecast their potential to become mainstream tools. We'll dissect the key issues these devices address, unveiling the unique solutions they offer to modern problems.

Our discussion spans the capabilities and features of these e-ink devices, delving into the functionality and user experience. Additionally, we identify and analyze a range of potential use cases, illustrating how these devices can fit into various aspects of daily life and work.

We also mention the market leaders driving innovation in this sector. Tune in to get an in-depth look at the future of e-ink writing devices and their role in shaping our digital writing landscape.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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It’s that time of year for us to gaze into our crystal ball and share your and our predictions for the future of technical communication for 2024 and beyond.

We've posted a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Microsoft's Akash Dubey has created a YouTube playlist that contains a series of interviews with people from Microsoft, Meta, Across Systems, and Cherryleaf, on lessons learnt with AI. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Utia1tpDy4cceBHsMDZFbyzVMWfijjG

Generative AI and Techcomm playlist on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyzNPwCV9rY&list=PLUsv4sNfwtYe3Crhz-ldp8JRoKLIh7k8l&pp=iAQB

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In this episode, we look at what Techcomm problems can generative AI solve.

Technical writers today face numerous challenges that can hinder productivity and impact content quality. From managing high volumes of documentation to keeping pace with rapid product changes, it takes great effort to produce and maintain helpful, accurate, and engaging technical content. This is where AI comes in.

In this episode, we provide an overview of the common pain points technical writers experience and demonstrate how generative AI can effectively address many of these issues. From automating repetitive tasks to enhancing writing quality, AI-powered tools offer new capabilities that will transform the field of technical communication.

We discuss key applications like boilerplate text generation, text summarisation, grammar corrections, writing style adaptability, and more. With the right human-AI collaboration, technical writers can be more efficient, consistent, and creative.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We talk to Kristof Van Tomme, CEO of Pronovix, about the role of API and developer portals in Generative AI systems. We discuss how organisations can prepare for AI.

We talk about what documentation infrastructure organisations should have in place to be able to use AI safely from an information perspective. We also discuss whether developer portals will become even more important.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We talk to Daniel Foster, Director of Strategy at TechSmith, about the contentious relationship between technical writers and video content.

A growing trend among technical writers is the integration of video content alongside traditional documentation and visuals, offering a dynamic and immersive medium to enhance user understanding and engagement. However, writers generally prefer words because they’re easier to reuse and scale, as well as being more efficient for their overall business. This leads to a rather contentious relationship with video elements...especially with clients specifically requesting more of them.

Daniel regularly works with technical writers on how to bridge this gap and effectively leverage video content to complement their writing.

We discuss how technical writers can effectively manage this contentious relationship.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Techsmith's Research hub includes:
- Value of Visuals
- Ultimate Guide to Simplified User Interface Graphics (SUI)
- The Ultimate Guide to Easily Make Instructional Videos
Guide to adding captions to videos

Simplify Tool in Snagit (tutorial)
Audiate

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We reflect on the lesson learnt so far as a result of developing our upcoming elearning course on using Generative AI in technical communication.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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As part of our research into using generative AI in technical communications, we ran a survey to discover the questions that technical communicators are asking.

In this episode, we review those questions and identify some common themes.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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When people talk about AI, chatbots, and tools like ChatGPT, all the new terminology can make it hard to understand how it all works. In this episode, we're going to look at the definitions of some of the words that you might hear.

Register for our webinar Using AI in techcomm: What you asked, and the answers

Thursday 29th June 2023

As a way of bridging the gap between the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the specific needs of Technical Communicators, we conducted a survey within the technical communications community. We wanted to uncover the most pressing questions, concerns, and areas of interest related to using AI and ChatGPT in technical communications.

In this webinar, we’ll present some of the questions you raised, and outline the answers to those questions. Additionally, we will present a framework for identifying opportunities and best practices for integrating ChatGPT and AI into their technical authoring processes.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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In this episode, we talk about writing procedures that are needed for regulatory compliance.

By this we mean organisations that might be investigated by a regulatory body.

We describe the different approaches to creating the content.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog. About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We wanted to talk about some ideas that we've taken from Google on how to present elearning video content. And to share them in case you are also involved in e-learning, and you wanted to copy these ideas as well. We examine one of Google's videos from its UX Design course. These courses are on YouTube, so it’s possible to view them without having to sign up to a course. Link to the video:
Intro to UX (User Experience) We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog. About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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It's been about three months since ChatGPT was launched. And we thought it would be good to look at really the status of what ChatGPT might mean for the future of technical communication.

And we did a blog and we did some experiments back in December, as have others, and people have reflected on the pros and cons of it.

And we thought it would be good to take a look at it today.

--

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog. About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

--

More information:

Wie gut ist Künstliche Intelligenz in der Technischen Dokumentation?https://www.parson-europe.com/de/blog/kuenstliche-intelligenz-chatgpt-technische-dokumentation Cherryleaf: What will ChatGPT mean for the future of technical communication?https://www.cherryleaf.com/2022/12/what-will-chatgpt-mean-for-the-future-of-technical-communication/ ICMS GmbH: https://www.icms.de/kuenstliche-intellig enz-in-der-technischen-redaktion-fluch-oder-segen/ Pinecone: Generative Question-Answering with Long-Term Memory https://www.pinecone.io/learn/openai-gen-qa/

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In January 2023, there's been quite a few layoffs in the tech sector. It's reported that Google has laid off 12,000 people, Microsoft 11,000, Amazon 18,000, Salesforce 8000. And there's also been layoffs at Meta, Cisco, Spotify, and other organisations.

In this episode, we're going to look at dealing with being laid off or being made redundant.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog. About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We talk to Diana Logan, Manager, Technical Writing at GitLab, about Gitlab’s approach to documentation and code.

We discuss:

Working in an “Docs as Code” environment
The upcoming GitLab Docs hackathon
Working for a fully remote, asynchronous organisation

More information:

GitLab Docs Hackathon 23 - 27 January, 2023
Five fast facts about docs as code at GitLab
How to update GitLab documentation

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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It’s that time of year for us to gaze into our crystal ball and share your and our predictions for the future of technical communication for 2023 and beyond.

Thread on LinkedIn

Thread on Twitter

We've posted a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We asked on Social Media

Someone joins as/becomes a manager of technical writing team. What would you advise they do in their first 90-100 days?

In this episode, we go through the responses we received.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

The five pillars of content strategy:

https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Five-Pillars-Approach-toolkit.pdf

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We look at optimising technical documentation for Search Engines.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Links:

Podcast 62 Looking back on the presentations at The Evolution of TC 2019 conference
99 Percent Invisible: Search and ye might find

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We look at playbooks. We ask: what are they, and why create them?

We also discuss our approach for creating playbooks, and the different ways to publish them.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Links:

https://trainual.com/manual/what-is-a-business-playbook-and-how-to-use-it-to-scale
https://sterlingwoods.com/blog/business-playbook/
https://www.tensorflow.org/community/sig_playbook?hl=en
https://docs.apigee.com/api-platform/troubleshoot/troubleshooting-introduction?hl=en
https://developers.google.com/business-communications/business-messages/files/bm-brand-playbook.pdf?hl=en

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We look at the value of retrospectives at the end of a documentation project, and how you can run one.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We look at the types of skills we, and others, are looking for, when taking on freelance and permanent technical communicators.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We asked:

Does anyone have any techcomm timesaver tips they'd like to share? This is what you told us...

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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We look at different ways to measure and check the quality of the content we produce.

References:

Developing Quality Technical Information (DQTI), Hargis, IBM, 1997
Peter Morville’s User Experience Honeycomb
Ilene Burnstein, Practical Software Testing
Teste e Qualidade de Software Software Reviews and Other Static Software Analysis. Rodrigo Back Almada. https://slideplayer.com/slide/14604162/

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Our new training bundles:

Cherryleaf Technical Communication Courses

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We look at GitHub and how technical communicators are using GitHub for creating documentation.

Our new training bundles:

Cherryleaf Technical Communication Courses

Video:

Creative writing with GitHub copilot

Hands on - AI pair programming with GitHub Copilot

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In this episode, we look at the skills needed for developing a developer portal.

We also talk about our new e-learning course "Creating API documentation and developer portals", and Google's recommendations for the content needed on a developer portal.

We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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Happy New Year. We posted this question on social media: What lessons have you learnt over the last 12 months? Working from home, wins, losses, mindset, managing the pandemic etc. In this episode, we go through the responses, and reflect on what was said.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Pexels image: Julia M Cameron

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It's that time of year for us to gaze into our crystal ball and share your and our predictions for the future of technical communication for 2022 and beyond.

Thread on LinkedIn

Thread on Twitter

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Image: Tuesday Temptation on Unsplash.

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Cherryleaf's Ginny Critcher and Ellis Pratt discuss using the Redocly platform to create a developer portal and API documentation.

More information:

Redocly

What is your developer portal’s KPI score?

Cherryleaf

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With the Dev Portal Awards 2021 under way, we look at the characteristics of an award-winning developer portal.

Dev Portal Awards 2021

What is your developer portal’s KPI score?

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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If a startup came to you asking for a checklist of actions they should take/consider when it comes to writing their first docs, what would you tell them? We asked that question on Social Media. In this episode, we reveal what people said. Get the ultimate user onboarding content checklist for start-ups

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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Unexpected bonus August episode.

We spoke to Jennifer Morse, Vice President of Customer Success at MadCap Software, about the new Learning and Development features that have been included in latest release of MadCap Flare.

More information:

New Release: MadCap Flare 2021 r2 Bridging the Gap Between Technical Authoring and Learning & Development

Webinar recording: Major New Learning & Development Updates in MadCap Flare 2021 r2

New free elearning course from Cherryleaf:

Trends in Technical Communication

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

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Ellis looks at nine common onboarding mistakes that software companies make:

Not thinking about jobs to be done, but features
Overloading users with information
Writing for a single audience
Not providing or not co-ordinating the five pillars of onboarding content
Getting the timing wrong
Unclear goals
Leaving "seams" in the onboarding experience
Poor quality content
No testing or metrics

Take our quiz:

What type of technical writer are you?

Planning and creating content for customer onboarding – training course

Cherryleaf

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

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We talk to Karissa Van Baulen, Customer Education Lead and Knowledge Base Owner at Hotjar.

We discuss how she has used heatmaps and playback recordings to improve Hotjar's knowledge base.

What does Hotjar do?
Why are heatmaps important?
How have you used heatmaps and recordings to improve Hotjar's knowledge base?
How easy is this to do?
How much time should you schedule?
What have been the benefits?
What have been the downsides?
If people want more information, where should they go?

More information:

The Importance of Using Analytics and Feedback for your Documentation - conference presentation recording

Take our quiz:

What type of technical writer are you?

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Ellis talks to Toby Chapman Dawe of Strand UK about why he claims nobody ever wants to buy software.

Toby is Managing Director of Strand. Toby specialises in communicating the business benefits of enterprise technology. Formerly a journalist in the UK writing for trade and national press, Toby transferred to the world of advertising in the Netherlands. Later, he moved back to magazine publishing and conference management in the UK. Toby now runs Strand, the global writing and design agency that serves the enterprise technology sector. And he keeps bees, though not at Strand. (We did not talk about the bees.)

More information:

Strand

Toby Chapman Dawe's profile on LinkedIn

Take our quiz:

What type of technical writer are you?

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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For a while now, we’ve been looking at ways to import API reference content into MadCap Flare, so that we can use Flare to create a developer portal. Here’s the latest update on what we’ve learnt.

Videos:

Importing OpenAPI/Swagger API reference content into MadCap Flare 2021 to create a developer portal
Importing API reference documentation into a MadCap Flare project

Cherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company based in the United Kingdom. Part of that work involves updating and improving developer portals.

Cherryleaf also offers a Writing API Documentation elearning course that teaches Technical Writers the keys skills of writing and managing documentation for REST APIs.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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In addition to the basic skills in technical communication, what other skills does a technical communicator need?

In this episode, we look at the areas where technical communicators deepen and widen their skill set. We consider what should be the topic for our (Cherryleaf's) next elearning course.

Twitter thread: Does anyone have opinions as to what should go into a course on creating content for (SaaS) customer onboarding?

Cherryleaf's Intermediate/Advanced Technical Communication training course

Vacancies page

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In March 2021, Google published the “Google UX Design Certificate Program", as part of its Grow with Google scheme. In this episode, we look at: * What is promised * How it's delivered * What's in the course * Career prospects

Related information:

https://grow.google/uxdesign/ https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-ux-design Intermediate/Advanced Technical Communication elearning training course

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Recently, we asked on Social Media:

What do you want from a course on creating screenshots and other graphics?
What topics would like a course like this to cover?

In this episode we'll cover the responses we got, and why we asked those questions.

Related information:

Intermediate/Advanced Technical Communication elearning training course

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We talk about an episode from the Smart Passive Income Podcast (Smart Passive Income Podcast 471 How to Become a Better Communicator with Kolarele Sonaike) and discuss why technical communicators' communication skills may not be enough for them to progress up an organisation's hierarchy.

More information:

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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In December 2020, a "Reuse Files" button mysteriously appeared in the browser version of Microsoft Word. There doesn't appear to be any documentation about it on the Microsoft website.

What does it do?

In this episode, we do some investigating to find out.

More information:

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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On social media, we asked "what are the most common problems organisations make with developer portals and API documentation?" In this episode, we look at the responses we received. We also discuss some of the other common mistakes that we've come across.

More information:

Cherryleaf's API/developer documentation writing services

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We look at some of the common content challenges organisations face with their developer portals, and ways to fix them. We also look at creating a friction log, and the complexity of banking related APIs.

More information:

Cherryleaf's API/developer documentation writing services

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We discuss the lessons we've learnt so far from training in a virtual classroom environment during the Lockdown.

More information:

Cherryleaf's training courses

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Ellis donned his finest brocade waistcoat and riding boots for an episode that was recorded in one of the locations used in the Bridgerton TV series.

He discusses the location, and the impact of Brexit on technical writing companies such as Cherryleaf.

Image by Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52540109

EU/UK TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT (see Annex 4 CPC 84)

More information:

Cherryleaf website

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We spoke to Deborah Reid, Lead Tester at Bloom & Wild, about usability testing.

We discuss:

What is testing?
Is it only about accessibility?
Where is it used?
Why should organisations worry about testing/do testing?
Does it need a specialist to do it?/ What skills are needed?
How did you become a tester/what attracted you to it?
How is it done?
Browser developer tools
When should you test?

Deborah's Twitter account:

@deborah_reid19

More information:

Cherryleaf website

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We asked the people who receive the Cherryleaf newsletter what was one goal (relating to work, career, or work-life balance) that they were setting for 2021. We received a lot of replies – thank you.

In this episode, we go through what you told us.

More information:

Word clouds from your responses

Ankerwycke

Cherryleaf website

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Another walking podcast, this time it's from Bedfont Lakes country park in west London.

We gaze into our crystal ball and make predictions for the future of technical communication for 2021 and beyond. We also share the thoughts of others in the profession.

Twitter thread:

What trends do you think there will be in Technical Communication (including UX writing) for 2021 and beyond?

LinkedIn thread:

What trends do you think there will be in Technical Communication (including UX writing) for 2021 and beyond?

Cherryleaf website

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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The DevPortal Awards bring together the API community to recognize, celebrate and learn from the world’s greatest developer portals and their API documentation. Ellis is one of the judges. In this podcast, he talks about the criteria the awards use to assess the different developer portals.

DevPortal Awards

Cherryleaf website

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Cherryleaf

Image of Penton Hook by Motmit

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We discuss a thread by Chris Herd on Twitter about working from home, and the future of work.

Chris Herd's thread on Twitter.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Cherryleaf

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We talk to Bart Leahy about his career as a Technical Writer and his book, Heroic Technical Writing: Making a Difference in the Workplace and Your Life.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Cherryleaf

Heroic Technical Writing: Making a Difference in the Workplace and Your Life

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Ellis describes his experience of writing and publishing a book on Kindle. He also discusses creating an audiobook for Audible and the latest options for printing a paperback book.

More information

https://kdp.amazon.com/

https://www.acx.com/

https://www.postermywall.com/index.php/posters/search?s=ebook#

https://www.fiverr.com/

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Cherryleaf

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Ellis was recently a judge for the UK Technical Communication Awards 2020. In this podcast we look at the process for judging the entries, and the variety of content submitted.

More information:

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Organisations that take a controls-based approach to auditing typically need controls-based procedures. We look at how they differ from other policies and procedures. We also discuss how we're approaching procedures writing projects during the lockdown.

More information:

Cherryleaf procedures writing services

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash

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We look at some newly released applications from Microsoft and Adobe that could help you be a better communicator:

Microsoft Fluid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy1Tyr93Sw4

Microsoft Editor

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/microsoft-editor

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/introducing-microsoft-editor-bring-out-your-best-writer-wherever/ba-p/1247931

Microsoft Lists

https://youtu.be/plshQSoe_OY

Adobe RoboHelp Summer Release 2020

https://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/2020/07/robohelp-summer-release-2020.html

More information:

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Black Lives Matter (BLM), inclusivity and technical communicators: What can/should technical communicators do within and without their jobs? BLM means recognising black people have historically suffered from prejudice and injustices, and that they still do today. We look at: 1. BLM and techcomm outputs 2. Encouraging Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) people to become technical communicators 3. Technical communicators using their skills in the wider community to support BLM

Links: Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/ellispratt/status/1274966367159095296 https://developers.google.com/style/inclusive-documentation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/bias-free-communication https://www.notion.so/9560a2fdb9364c1aa9e1ede6e6e84225?v=097d37e5e18d452b81af5712df427a56 https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/StyleGuide/current/StyleGuide/Domains https://github.com/thm/uinames/blob/master/uinames.com/api/names.json https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53050955 https://www.cnet.com/news/master-and-slave-tech-terms-face-scrutiny-amid-anti-racism-efforts/ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-zTssredxA&feature=youtu.be Image Robert Gale via Unsplash

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We caught up with Mike Hamilton, VP of Product Evangelism at MadCap Flare.

We talked about:

How is Covid-19/lockdown affecting you and MadCap? Managing chatbots, UI text, Help and KB articles from a single source What's new in Central 2020 What's new in Flare 2020? Are the new features a sign of future developments?

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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With the Covid-19 lockdown, corporate classroom training has had to stop.

But will it come back?

In this episode, we look at:

Do we need classroom training?
How Google is converting its technical writing for developers classroom course to an online format
How we are approaching the conversion of our classroom courses
What others advised on LinkedIn

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

Unsplash image: You X Ventures

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In this episode, we talk to Will Myddelton, Product lead at Local Welcome, about moving from an oral to a written culture within an organisation.

"An oral culture has huge advantages in that it’s fluid, easy to pick up, and doesn’t require a lot of attention to processes.

But it has a big disadvantage which is that knowledge is stored inside people’s memories, or embodied in the things that are made in specific contexts.

This creates problems when someone goes on holiday, and even worse when someone leaves.

It means people often spend time reinventing or duplicating things that have been invented before.

Stepping back, it often means there is no single view of the system that the company is operating, (which is why so many design consultancies start with trying to map the systems that a company operates).

Finally, lots of organisations are trying to automate business processes, but how can you automate a process that isn’t documented (which is why there are so many business analysts who try and retro-document the processes that exist and are in operation)."

Links:

Conway's Law: latency versus throughput by Mark Seemann

Will Myddelton on Twitter

Local Welcome

Notion

Pioneers, settlers, town planners

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In this episode, we talk to CJ Walker, of Firehead, about the technical writing scene in France.

Firehead: www.firehead.net

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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The COVID-19 coronavirus is having a huge impact on people and organisations. With so many things that could be about to change, how should technical communicators respond?

In this episode we look at:

How organisations might change during and after the Covid-19 lockdown
What that means for technical communication
Comments made by others on LinkedIn
What changes we've made at Cherryleaf

Links:

Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller - Your Checklist for Getting Through a Crisis

LinkedIn thread

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We talk to Sara Feldman, about how the writing in technical writing needs to evolve.

We discuss:

The driving forces that are impacting our audience’s context in ways we need to account for in how we write
Things to do more
Things to do less
Customer-focused delivery

Think with Google: How consumer needs shape search behavior and drive intent

Sara Feldman on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarafeldman/

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We talk to Jen Lambourne, Knowledge Management Lead at Monzo Bank, about her current work at Monzo and her previous role at the UK's Government Digital Service.

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We look at working from home during the lockdown.

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We look at the importance of communication in leadership. We look at how communication needs to adapt to different contexts.

Note: This recording was made before the Coronavirus crisis was fully appreciated.

More information

Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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We look at the steps you need to take if you need to urgently create or update your Business as Usual policies and procedures.

--

More information

Cherryleaf

Cherryleaf newsletter

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

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Google has developed two technical writing classes for developers, which it has delivered to thousands of its own staff. In late February 2020 it made these accessible to people outside of Google.

But are they any good?

In this episode, we describe and review these courses.

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We look at the reasons why technical communicators join their professional bodies.

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

Image taken at the Oceania exhibition, in the Royal Academy of Arts.

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What plans can UK software companies, technical writing companies, and freelance technical communicators make for 2019, in light of Brexit, which is currently scheduled to begin on the 29th March?

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We talk to Tony Grice about the Mathspeak project.

The Mathspeak project is a partnership between European educational practitioners and the creators of educational materials. Funded by the European Commission, the objective of the Mathspeak project is to produce a language learning resource for secondary school students. The learning materials will enable students to perform mathematics in a foreign language at the same level they do in their native language.

The Mathspeak project

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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Is there a trend toward specialisation, and is this driving up the value of technical knowledge instead of writing skills?

We talk to Tom Johnson, who is well known for his website idratherbewriting.com.

Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part I)

Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part II)

Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part III)

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We talk about Headless CMS with Simen Svale Skogsrud, Co-founder/CTO of Sanity.io.

How to deploy a transcription microservice demo video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kl1ySmXGO4

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We discuss various tips on how to keep your writing simple (and straightforward) for all audiences, but particularly when you are writing English content that will be translated, or consumed by non-native English speakers.

Kirsty Taylor is Manager, Product Internationalisation at RPM Global.

Kirsty's presentation was delivered at the Australian Society for Technical Communication (ASTC) annual conference in October, 2018.

You can see the slides at https://www.slideshare.net/kirstymtaylor/keep-it-simple-presentation-at-astc-october-2018

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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Matthew Ellison joins us on the podcast to discuss technical communication tools and trends.

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We look back on the TCUK18 Conference.

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We look back on the MadWorld Europe 2018 conference.

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We look at other podcasts on technical communication, plus podcasts on other topics that might interest you. We also look at how to make a podcast of you own, and the differences between a number of microphones.

Links:

How we make Small Differences – a short introduction to podcasting

Use plug-ins in GarageBand to improve podcast sound

Zoom H6

Philips DVT6500 Voice Tracer

Boya BY-M1 Omni Directional Lavalier Microphone

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/10- minute-tech-comm-mp3/id920575683

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/id-rather-be-writing/id277365275

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/write- the-docs-podcast/id1178393510

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ the-content-strategy-experts-scriptorium/ id1221434809

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-not- boring-tech-writer/id1093182479

https://itunes.apple.com/mk/podcast/ the-hurleywrite-com-podcast/id493986793

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/content-content/id978186792

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-istcs-podcast/id1345913619

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/insert-content-here/id562303243

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Sponsored :

MadCap Software product overview

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We asked technical communicators which techniques and technologies they use to capture information in meetings and interviews.

Links:

https://lifehacker.com/5989980/ive-been-using-evernote-all-wrong-heres-why-its-actually-amazing

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/notability/id360593530?mt=8

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/penultimate/id354098826?mt=8

http://fordshorthand.com/

http://blog.goptg.com/creating-and-emailing-one-note-templates

https://slite.com/templates

http://www.bear-writer.com/

https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/209126827-Capture-pages-using-the-Evernote-camera

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Livescribe-3-Smartpen-Black-Edition/dp/B0195Y00Y2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1535531089&sr=8-2&keywords=livescribe

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/office-lens/id975925059?mt=8

https://www.cherryleaf.com/2016/12/new-notetaking-methods-for-technical-communicators/

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

Livescribe 3 smartpen Black Edition (APX-00020)

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We look at the results from our informal survey into the problems with policies and procedures, and how single sourcing can be applied to these types of documents.

Link to video - https://youtu.be/dc3GuGFFFVs

To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com

www.cherryleaf.com

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We bring together some of the themes we've covered in previous podcast episodes to look at where technical communications is heading, and the skills technical communicators will need.

Jim Grey's article

Cherryleaf's technical copywriting training course

Documenting REST APIs course

Flickr image: Lotus Lulu

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We look at UX writing:

What is it?
The purpose of UI
Deliverables
Boundaries with other professions
How it differs from technical communication
Planning
Roles
The design process
Copy-first UX writing
What does this mean for technical communicators?
Training courses in UX writing

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We talk to Jennifer Morse, Director of Product Evangelism at MadCap Software, about the MadWorld and Madworld Europe 2018 conferences.

email: info@cherryleaf.com

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MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

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We look at the similarities and differences between copywriting and technical writing. With the changes to the Customer Journey, we ask: should technical writers become copywriters?

Links:

Technical copywriting training course

Technical copywriting writing services

Graham Jones - Are you providing enough detail online?

"The World of the Hero" by P. L. Travers

email: info@cherryleaf.com

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MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

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In this episode, we talk to Stella Crowhurst, Content Strategy Director at ‎Worldpay.

We discuss:

How Worldpay reduced complexity in the developer experience by combining multiple properties in a single portal.
How Worldpay uses Lean methods to develop documentation within an Agile development environment.
The new tool Worldpay is building in-house that allows to display the API documentation, reference and a sandbox all in one page so that developers can access all the information they need on one screen, speeding up the integration process.
The way the technical writers work as an API content team in collaboration with the internal development teams.

Links:

Stella's article, Getting started with a Dev Portal

email: info@cherryleaf.com

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MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

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This podcast is based on article to be published in Communicator. Communicator is the authoritative, award winning, journal for UK technical communicators.

Each year, Cherryleaf is one of the companies in technical communications that makes predictions for the upcoming 12 months. In this episode, we look further into the future, to see what the future holds for technical communication.

We look at:

What is likely to stay the same?
From multichannel to omnichannel
Augmented and mixed reality
How do we get from here to there?

Links:

Tomorrow's World - Office of the Future 16 April 1969 – BBC
A Content Strategy Conversation — Noz Urbina
Content-Strategie als Service Design
The Content Strategy Podcast. Ep. 1: Erika Hall and Conversational Design
Time to move to multi-sourcing
Introducing the era of mixed reality
thyssenkrupp – bringing new vision to elevator maintenance with Microsoft HoloLens
Hey, Alexa, What Can You Hear? And What Will You Do With It? New York Times.
Content Modelling: A Master Skill
SPFE.info
Cynefin framework

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MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

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This is a preview of Ellis' presentation at the upcoming Build your Docs career event.

"At this day-long conference, organised in collaboration with GDS, we will hear from those who have gained new skills, and discuss how to manage and develop your career in documentation."

The presentation is called "How to assess a good technical communicator from a bad one when you're recruiting".

email: info@cherryleaf.com

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Sponsored :

MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

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We discuss:

The upcoming Madworld conference

Automating publishing

Accessibility

The techcomm scene in Canada

The TWR2003 Online Documentation course at Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology

Information 4.0

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MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

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We look at becoming a freelance Technical Author. We'll cover:

Why do companies hire freelancers?
The benefits
The downsides
Working from home
Working abroad
The legal and tax considerations
Finding work
What to do in the quiet periods

Links:

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IPSE

ISTC

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Inside the Tornado: Strategies for Developing, Leveraging, and Surviving Hypergrowth Markets

Cherryleaf's Technical Author Recruitment Service

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Sponsored :

MadWorld Europe 2018 Conference

MadCap Software product overview

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Inside the Tornado: Strategies for Developing, Leveraging, and Surviving Hypergrowth Markets (Collins Business Essentials)

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We take a look at topic-based writing.

What is a topic?
Features of topics
Why use topics?
Why not use topics?
Where can you use it?
What happens if you don't use them?
Tools for topic-based writing
What do you need to know
Interacting with others

Cherryleaf surveys

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