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RE: What alternatives are there to "Information Mapping"?
Subject:RE: What alternatives are there to "Information Mapping"? From:"Nancy Smith" <smithcds -at- ici -dot- net> To:<ian -dot- saunders -at- vf -dot- vodafone -dot- co -dot- uk>, "'TECHWR-L'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Nov 1999 13:11:39 -0500
Information Mapping is great -- not because the
company invented anything new, but because they
brought together and implemented the results of so
much research. Since they stopped selling it as
though it were the one and only world religion on
presenting information, I find it very useful
because (1) it helps writers understand how to
approach user needs and task analysis, (2) it
provides a common language you can use with your
staff when you discuss plans or edit documents, and
(3) its navigation ("chunking and and labeling"
techniques are very valuable..
It's much easier to say to a writer, "You need a
classification table here" than to go into great
detail about what you mean by that.
Don't feel like you have to adopt every little
nuance of their page layout -- personally I can't
stand so many tables-within-tables and believe a
numbered list can be as effective as a Step/Action
table as long as you understand and include all the
necessary pieces of information.
Nancy
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-10572 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-10572 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On
Behalf Of
ian -dot- saunders -at- vf -dot- vodafone -dot- co -dot- uk
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 4:25 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: What alternatives are there to "Information
Mapping"?
Hello all,
Does anyone have any comments (good or bad) about
the "Information Mapping"
method of organising and presenting information? Are
there any other
alternative methodologies that I might consider for
training staff to write?
All comments gratefully received.
Many thanks
Ian Saunders
Vodafone Airtouch Plc
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