webcast: balancing standardization against the need for creativity
TRANSCRIPT
Balancing standardization against the need for creativity
Flickr: Paxson Woelber
Alan PringleScriptorium
August 3, 2016
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Questions? Comments?
Flickr: Veronique Debord
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About me
Chief operating officer,Scriptorium Publishing
Working with structured content since 1988
Coauthor, Content Strategy 101 and Technical Writing 101
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About me
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Stereotype of structured authoring
Flickr: Umberto Salvagnin
No creativity!
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Three case studies
Communicating layout specifications for automated outputs
Considering the true costs of customized structures
Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
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Flickr: State Library and Archives of Florida
Communicating layout specifications for automated output
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
<xsl:variable name="level-1-family">SansBold</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-size">14pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-line-height">15pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-weight">normal</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-style">normal</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-indent">0pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-color">#000000</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-space-before">42pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-space-after">4pt</xsl:variable>
Settings for heading 1 paragraphs:
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Typical workflow for automated PDF output
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Programmer develops stylesheet in text/XML editor.
Code specifies page size, font use, andso on.
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
<xsl:variable name="level-1-family">SansBold</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-size">14pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-line-height">15pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-weight">normal</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-style">normal</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-indent">0pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-color">#000000</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-space-before">42pt</xsl:variable><xsl:variable name="level-1-space-after">4pt</xsl:variable>
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Any changes?
“Change the heading color to our new corporate blue.”
“Make the chapter heading a little bigger.”
Programmer gets specifications from template.
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Developed process that relies on... stylesheets!
Programmer added detailed code comments.
Programmatic formatting requires specific numbers. How do you collect them?
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Sample code comment for page size:
Physical page dimensions. US Letter is 8.5 in x 11 in; A4 is 8.3 in × 11.7 in. Dimensions that accommodate both paper sizes are 8.3 in x 11.0 in.
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Extract code comments and create Word file:
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Communicating layout specifications for automated output
Designer fills out settings and returns file.
Programmer gets specific measurements.
Code comments serve as reference for later maintenance.
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Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
Flickr: Creative-Tools.com
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Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
Automated PDF formatting is not for all information types.
Highly designed study guides required greater flexibility in layout.
How do you preserve high-quality layouts for print?
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Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
Transform source XML into InDesign-compatible XML.
XML refers to styles in the InDesign template.
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Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
<ParagraphStyleRange AppliedParagraphStyle="ParagraphStyle/body"> <CharacterStyleRange AppliedCharacterStyle="CharacterStyle/$ID/[No character style]"> <Content>When developing a test bed, it is important to ensure that you cover </Content> </CharacterStyleRange> <CharacterStyleRange AppliedCharacterStyle="CharacterStyle/bold"> <Content>all </Content> </CharacterStyleRange> <CharacterStyleRange AppliedCharacterStyle="CharacterStyle/$ID/[No character style]"> <Content>basic cases for your requirements.</Content> </CharacterStyleRange>...</ParagraphStyleRange>
InDesign Markup Language (IDML) sample:
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Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
Place XML file into InDesign template.
Styles and other formatting applied automatically:
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Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
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Wikipedia: Guma89
Flexibility in layout as a business requirement
Adjust line breaks, pagination, image placement, and so on.
Reduced production time significantly.
Get benefits of structured content (reuse, in particular).
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Flickr: Japanexperterna.se
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Standardization versus creativity is not just about layout.
Create custom structure? Adopt standard?
When should you change a standard's default structures?
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Implement XML for conditional content, mobile delivery, and localization.
Installation guides: procedures with more than 100 steps.
Steps could contain substeps and sub-substeps.
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Procedure layers:
63. This is the 63rd step in a procedure.
a. This is a substep.
i. This is a sub-substep.
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Content model did not support sub-substeps by default.
Content creators requested addition of sub-substep element.
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
My reaction to a 100-step procedure with three layers of steps:a. Time to re-evaluateb. Excellent tech comm c. Absolutely notd. CENSORED
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Information architects: reconsider the long procedures and sub-substeps.
Level of effort: modifying versus maintaining default structure.
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Please.
Considering the true costs of customized structures
Modify: Develop and test modification Implement in authoring tools, CCMS, and
stylesheets Distribute to localization vendors Train writers on custom structure
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Maintain: Rethink procedures to eliminate sub-substeps. Rewrite to break up lengthy procedures.
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Content creators:
Did not want to rewrite content.
Adding sub-substep path of least resistance.
Rewriting = admitting that process is bad.
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
Information architects:
Rewriting: short-term effort, long-term benefits.Rewrote some content to show increased reuse.What about reading on phones and tablets?
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
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Considering the true costs of customized structures
No agreement on approach.
Company planned to re-evaluate later.
Not every consulting engagement has a happy ending.
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Conclusions
Streamline communication with technology.
Evaluate costs and biases while considering structural changes.
Get benefits of structure and flexible formatting.
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Conclusions
Technical ≠ not creative
Need versus want
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Resources
PDF specifications (Word file)tiny.cc/PDFsettings
Managing change (Content Strategy 101)tiny.cc/manage-change
InDesign XMLInDesign & DITA post: tiny.cc/indesign-ditaIDML specifications (PDF): tiny.cc/idml
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Resources
Case study summaries:
tiny.cc/balancing-case-studies
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Flickr: Veronique Debord
Questions?Comments?
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