Publications and presentations

The following is a list of my publications (books, articles, presentations) on technical documentation, especially software documentation, software user assistance, information design, and single source publishing.

Books

Rich Documentation Design Concept:
Methods for Creating Concise Technical Documentation of Maximum Value
(English Edition)

Technical Documentation Short and Sweet:
The Best Best Practices for Creating Clear and Useful Manuals, Help Systems, and Other Forms of User Assistance
(English Edition)

Technical Documentation Best Practices:
Planning and Structuring Helpful User Assistance – Contents, Structure, User Navigation
(English Edition)

Technical Documentation Best Practices:
Visually Designing Modern Help Systems and Manuals – Layout, Formatting, Templates
(English Edition)

Technical Documentation Best Practices:
Writing Clear and Helpful User Assistance – Writing Rules, Tips, FAQ
(English Edition)

Technical Documentation Best Practices:
Creating Effective Visualizations for Technical Communication – Images, Videos, Interactive Content
(English Edition)

Translating Technical Documentation Successfully
Things That You Should Preserve When Translating User Manuals and Online Help Systems (for translators)
(English Edition)

Technical Documentation Tool and Web Guide
(English Edition)

Articles and presentations

Simplify your like: A compilation of tools and methods that simplify day-to-day work in technical writing
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2024

Rich Documentation Design with the Impulse Method
Presentation, tekom conference 2023

A New Concept Adds New Momentum: Rich Documentation Design
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 3/2023

Things That Can Facilitate Work for Technical Writers
Presentation, tekom chapter Berlin-Brandenburg, May 2023

New Ways of Translation
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 5/2022

Creating Animated Content Quickly
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2020

Screenshots
Presentation, tekom chapter Sachsen, April 2019

Column “Web Links for Technical Communicators”
tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, all issues 6/2005 through 1/2019

Pimp up Your Help
Tutorial, tekom conference 2018

Screenshot Best Practices
Presentation, tekom conference 2018

The Best of Both Worlds
Review of the software Document! X
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 4/2018

Tools and Techniques of Technical Documentation
Seminar at Zwickau University of Applied Sciences, April 2017

Software Documentation
Full-day tutorial for tekom chapters Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen, Leipzig, November 2016

Creating Help without Bells and Whistles
Review of the software Help+Manual
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2016

Ways to Hell(p)
Tools and processes for generating online help
Presentation, tekom conference 2015

Technical Documentation and Software Documentation
Lecture at Zwickau University of Applied Sciences, October 2015

Translating Technical Docs without Losing Quality
Article, “MultiLingual Magazine”, issue July/August 2015

Help with Additional Functions
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2015
Article on “tcworld.info”, March 2015

How to Explain Technical Products Clearly
Article, magazine “Konstruktion”, issue 5-2014

Online Help, Quo Vadis? The Future of Online User Assistance
Presentation and discussion, TECOM Switzerland, April 2014

Dynamic Help: Where You Need It When You Need It
“tcworld, magazine for international information development”, February 2014

Module “Online Documentation”
University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe, Communication and Media Management, fall semester 2013/2014

Dynamic Help
How? Where? When?
Presentation, tekom conference 2013

There Is No Nobel Prize in User Manuals
Article, “Magazin Wirtschaft”, issue 11/2013

Operating Instructions
Article, “WiM Magazin”, issue 10/2013

Original or Translation?
When to translate terms quoted from a user interface and when not to translate them
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 3/2013

Adding Social Media Features to Help
Integrating social media features quickly, easily, and at little cost
Presentation, tekom conference 2012

Do You Speak Deutsch?
How to document products in German that have an English user interface
Presentation, tekom conference 2012

Continuous Improvements Instead of a Revolution
New version of Help+Manual
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2012
Article, “tcworld.info”, March 2012

Comments Welcome
Setting up a comments function for online help
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 6/2011

Do You Choose, Select, Activate, or Click?
Recommendations for terminology in software user assistance
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 4/2011

Help Authoring Tools
Market overview and decision support
Presentation, tekom chapter Nord, March 2010

How to Minimize Documentation Costs without Costs
Adapting business management methods to maximize efficiency
Presentation, “tcworld Roadshow”, 2009

Instant Solution for Creating Online and Printed Documentation
Working with Help+Manual version 5
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2009

Demos and Interactive Components in Online Help
Tools, tips, examples
Presentation, tekom conference 2008

Search or Find?
What makes online documentation user-friendly
Presentation, tekom chapter Rhein-Main, October 2008

AutoHotkey
Automation for free
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 3/2008

Creating Software Demos the Easy Way
Recommended tools for screencasting
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2008

Creating Screen Captures Efficiently
Recommended tools for taking screenshots
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 5/2007

Help Authoring Tools
Has RoboHelp regained its old strength?
Expert interview, magazine “Produkt Global”, issue 2/2007

The HAT Show
10 help authoring tools live and in color
Presentation, tekom conference 2006

Creativity Methods for Technical Communicators
2 Workshops, tekom conference 2006

From Author-it to XDK
An overview of 20 help authoring tools
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 5/2006

Change of Perspective
Business management solutions for reducing technical documentation costs
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 6/2005

Management in Technical Communication
How to make your documentation process more efficient
Presentation, tekom chapter Süd-Niedersachsen, July 2005
Presentation, tekom chapter Mitte, September 2005

(Don’t) Click Me
Creating user-friendly links
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 3/2005

Re-designing Rusty Help Texts
Presentation, tekom conference 2004

Management Methods for Technical Communicators
Presentation, tekom conference 2004
Presentation, tekom chapter Munich, March 2005
Presentation, tekom chapter Rhein-Main, October 2005
Presentation, tekom chapter Baden, November 2005

Information Layering
Providing need-based information
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 4/2004

The Fairy Tale of Hänsel and Gretel
Why navigation shouldn’t rely on breadcrumbs
Presentation, Online Help Forum, tekom 2003

Built-in Software Assistants
Embedded help
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 1/2003

Embedded Help
Presentation, Online Help Forum, tekom 2002

Paper Goodbye?
Article, tekom magazine “technische kommunikation”, issue 4/2002

Why We Love or Hate Help
Presentation, tekom spring conference 2002

Innovative Information Design with Microsoft Help 2.0
Presentation, Online Help Forum, tekom 2001

Help Makeover Panel 2001
Expert on the Help Makeover Panel, Online Help Forum, tekom conference 2001

Innovative Information Design
Presentation, tekom chapter Mitte, April 2001

Why Help Sometimes Doesn’t Help
Presentation, CeBIT 2001

Translation-Friendly Writing for a Single Source
Tutorial at tekom conference 2000

Single Sourcing with SmartDoc
Why single sourcing takes more than good tools
Presentation, Forum 2000

Single Source Writing for Manuals and Online Help
Half-day tutorial, tekom conference 1999

Single Source Writing
Presentation, tekom conference 1998

See also:

About me

Clients and references