Chapter 13 - Designing Electronic Communication

In this chapter the book covers how to effectively use and understand the principles of effective electron communication. They focus more on web base systems since that is the way of the future.

Electronic communication can be categorized into 3 different groups. The first is Interactive and non linear, which means multiple possibilities among users. In other words one person can use it for one thing and another can use it for a total different purpose. The second group is virtual or open, which allow people to view things in a made up place and being somewhere without actually leaving home. The third and final, is complex and dynamic which is planning for different users and technology.

Today there are many different types of electronic communication devices out there, such as the computer, PDA, Cell phone, ect.. This is making electronic communication more important than it ever has been.

Since websites have became an important way to feed the public information it is very important that you take the following into consideration when designing a page.

1. Page size- You want to maximize what the user can see on the screen at one time.
2. Legibility- How easy someone can read what is on your page? You need to take into consideration what backgrounds you use along with font type and size to make it as easy as possible for user to see.
3. Responsiveness- how quick it is to respond to users clicks. You don’t want the user to become unhappy waiting for you page to load.
4. Navigation- you want to make it easy for users to get around your site.
5. Equipment- make sure you have quick enough equipment

When designing a page you need to take in to consideration how you wan the person to navigate through the pages. Many times you will have pages that you would like the user to see more often so making them much easier to click on is a great way to get them to that page. But most importantly when thinking about the navigation you want users to be able to go back as easy as they go forward.

There are 3 things that go into a good webpage.
1. Information Architecture
Within information architecture you can separate it into 3 different subcategories. The first is organizing the information, you need to think about all you info and how it relates to each other and separate it from there. After you have your info organized you go to the second subcategory, labeling the information. The best way to do this is with keywords that a user might use in a search engine to find your page. Once you have everything labeled you go to the final step is setting up the navigation. Here you need to think about the order you want people to see the information and set it up accordingly.

2. Page/Screen Design
Layout is a very important aspect of effective communication. At the same time, there really are no set rules for designing the layout of a web page. But the book does give 3 guidelines
• Content - Provide more content than navigation on each page
• Identification - Include critical info and site identification near the top. The top left corner is also a natural focal point for Web and print pages.
• White Space - “Don’t fill every pixel of your page.” It helps guide a user’s eye around the page.

3. Content
Content is still key, pretty pages mean nothing if the content isn’t there. The book points out two aspects for good electronic content: effective writing and ensuring credibility. The book has a nice table (table 13.19) on p499 discussing some guidelines to building credibility. Also, some good writing tips from the book…
• Be Concise
• Keep text chunks short
• Use headings and bulleted lists
• Use Active Voice - identifier a doer for an action (ie you, me, us, etc…) It’s more engaging for the reader.
• Consider international readers, the world is bigger than little ol’ US
• Keep important info near the top followed by descriptions. Make important info easy to find when scanning.
• Limit ‘in-text links’ and provide descriptions so the user knows what to expect if they click this link

Standards & Tools
Standards are important because it allows a massive system, like the web and all PCs connected to it, to function consistently. Table 13.20 on p501 has a nice list of tags, scripts, and programming tools used in web page design.

Iterative Design Process
The first step to any project is defining is the project’s purpose and scope. The second step to any project is developing a project plan, this plan is an outline of the resources and time needed to complete the project. It’s also very important to maintain documentation of maintenance and updates to keep things consistent. Figure 13.21 provides some good questions to think about when planning a project, some of it is web page specific but the development and project management sections could be applied to any project.

When developing a web page, start by analyzing similar web pages and the book even provides a nice assessment sheet on p506, Figure 13.22. After you have some ideas on what you want, create a prototype and run the same assessment. Keep the project and process coordinated, communication is key to keeping the project on track and all elements consistent.

Make information and features accessible. Provide alternative representations of information, use alternative tagging, and add transcripts or captions to audio information. While this may not be everything, just always keep in mind to keep your information accessible to as many people as possible.

Chapter 14 - Creating Definitions

Defining significant terms using vocab and other ways understandable to the audience is necessary in creating technical documents, oral presentations, and visuals. Failure to provide adequate definitions may lead to the audience getting confused by multiple meanings, complexity of meanings, technical jargon, and symbols.

Recognizing and answering questions the audience may come up with beforehand, is a way to make effective definitions. After first asking "What is it?" you can ask simple questions such as:

Physical Characteristics *What does it look like?
*What are its physical features?
Comparison *How is it classified?
*What is it similar to?
*How is it different from similar objects?
Whole/Parts *Ware are its distinguishing characteristics?
*What are it components?
Function *What does it do?
*How does it work?
Operation *Who uses it?
*What are examples of its use?
*What is its value?

These questions may be answered by constructing formal, informal, operational, or expanded definitions.

Formal Definitions
Formal definitions are definitions you'll find in a dictionary. Sometimes definitions may not exist for new products and processes or may not be adequate for old ones. In that case you need to construct a new formal definition in which the format is always species equals genus plus differentia. The species is the term that is defined. Genus is the class or category to which it belongs and differentia is the distinguishing characteristics that differentiate the species from others in the same genus.

Informal Definitions
Informal definitions are often times used by communicators without even realizing it. Six types of informal definitions commonly used are:

*Synonym - A Word that basically means the same thing as the original term
*Antonym - A word that means the opposite to the original term.
*Negative - A definition that gives an explanation of what something is not.
*Stipulation - A definition that gives the meaning of a term for a particular situation or application.
*Analogy - Is a comparison of the unfamiliar to the familiar to find the major characteristics of the unfamiliar term.
*Illustration - Is a diagram or drawing to illustrate a term.

Operational Definitions
Operational definitions give significant steps in a process to make it clear or to measure it. The meaning of operational definition is different in different technical fields.

Expanded Definitions
Expanded definitions explain and clear up info. They help maintain audience interest and can adapt types of technical communication for wider audiences. The forms of expanded definitions most used are etymology, history, and examples.

Lastly, the technical communicator must decide where to put the definitions. The possibilities for placing definitions include: a glossary, information notes and sidebars, incorporated info, appendixes, and in online help. They should be placed in one of the aforementioned areas that would be most convenient for audiences.