|
We
teach you how to structure information
In today's
knowledge economy, information may be the most important raw material
we need to do our job. We see increasing organizational demand
to effectively structure and manage that content.
Benefits
In our courses, we
present students with a framework for understanding how people
use nformation, we introduce a vocabulary for exchanging ideas
in a web-development environment, and we provide specific tools
our students can take back to their jobs. Because we provide specific
skills that can be tracked through their specific applications, we can
show clients a return on investment.
Learn about our classes
at Info.Design's studio and classes you can bring "in-house"
and our "off-site" courses. We also offer adult training via
USDA Graduate School.
Courses
at Info.Design Studio
The Info.Design studio
offers a relaxed setting for learning about narrative and Information
Structure. Your team can meet at the Washington DC studio or you can take
one of our special courses. During the summer of 2003 we are launching
the course "Life-stories."
The six-week course enables learners to craft tales of experience. Contact
Thom for more information.
Courses
at Your Location
Thom will come to
your organization and offer two-three day courses for your entire publications
team. He offers additional courses via Washington area universities:
Information Architecture
for the World Wide Web
Information architects convey complex information as clearly as possible.
This course focuses on a systematic process for developing the architecture
of a Web site to help people find and use information efficiently by incorporating
user accessibility cues and effective layout principles.
In this course you
will:
- Define information
architecture
- Create a user-focused
foundation
- Understand how
people process information
- Shape information
so people can find and use it
- Create sites people
can navigate
- Present Web text
that people will read and understand
- Test the architecture
and design of a Web site
[back
to top]
Writing for the
Web
Organizations have discovered that successful websites require customer
satisfaction. And satisfied customers look at web sites as tools that
enable them to find and use information. Of course, as we all know, web
sites do not often work. Certainly there are often technical and managerial
challenges, but we often face a "hidden" problem: the structure of the
information itself.
As web users, we
step into an environment where we often try to gather specific information
so we can apply it in our work. But instead of accessing information easily,
we are thwarted by the visual presentation that confuses us. And we face
labels and categories that don't match what we know.
As writers, we are
challenged to improve the structure of information on our web sites. We
are challenged to find ways we can involve users -- not to get their preference
on a site, but to learn how they make decisions and use the information
we've presented.
Specifically you
will:
- Explore users'
perspectives of the web environment
- Learn strategies
for creating performance-based structures instead of preference-based
structures
- Discover why web
writing is "visual writing" -- and a structure for remembering graphic
"guidelines"
- Identify strategies
for "chunking" and "architecting" information
- Explore techniques
for layering text
- Organize information
in user-friendly formats
- Rewrite print
materials to take advantage of the web
[back
to top]
Visual Design
of Information
Our work
demands effective presentation of information. But how do we organize,
transform, and present our information so people can find it, use it,
and understand it? One solution is to think like an information designer.
In this class you will learn the vocabulary and techniques of information
design.
Specifically, you
will:
- Define "information
design"
- Explore a process
for architecting information with the user in mind
- Discover ways
users perceive and process information
- Review techniques
for helping users compare and contrast information
- Examine approaches
for testing the usability of information structures
- Discover techniques
for creating effective information graphics
- Apply information
design principles in designing in-class communication products.
[back
to top]
Structuring Narrative
Businesses are increasingly turning to narrative structures to present
information to tell stories about the organization and the work they are
doing. In this hands-on writing class, you will examine the nature of
"seeing" as a writer and explore various modes of turning work experience
into prose. The course is designed for those interested in applying the
skill of the storyteller to professional writing.
Specifically you
will:
- Explore the uses
of narrative in business writing
- Incorporate techniques
for description
- Explore structures
for narrative and storytelling
- Learn techniques
for improving simplicity and style
- Examine usefulness
of business narrative in web writing
[back
to top]
Structuring Professional
Writing
Technical
writing does not equal boring writing. Technical writers (professional
writers) structure information to help people get their jobs done. In
this class you will have the opportunity to learn how to identify different
audiences and mold information to help them use the information as you
envisioned.
Specifically you
will :
- Explore the role
of technical (professional) writers in the workplace
- Build document,
paragraph, and sentence structures that enable people to quickly access
information
- Learn specific
techniques for making your writing clear and accessible
- Learn how to respond
to inherent structures in information
- Learn strategies
for displaying content (in print or electronically) so people can easily
act on it
- Explore challenges
of working with managers, colleagues, and users to build effective communication
products.
[back
to top]
Courses
at an Off-Site Location
Are
there topics related to information structure that interest you? Do you
find you prefer a training environment away from the office? We have an
arrangement where we can provide training at a convenient downtown location.
We offer our on-site courses ordevelop a course that fits your needs.
We also work with local experts in information structure to provide courses
that fit your needs. If you are interested in learning more, contact Thom.
[back
to top]
Courses
Via DC-Based Training Providers
We
offer courses through local training vendors:
USDA Graduate School's
10-week
evening course in Information Architecture
USDA Gradute School's
10-week
evening course in Creative Non-Fiction
For more information
about how Info.Design can help teach your organization, e-mail thom@thomhaller.com.
|
