Let's tech communicate
June 2023
Write clear, concise instructions for neurodivergent employees
One of the top things we can do to make life better for our neurodivergent workforce is write clear, concise instructions. It can help with memory, reduce uncertainty and clear up miscommunication.
Check out this article from Mentra for more we can do for our neurodivergent employees.
Top ten accommodations for neurodivergent employees
Communication concepts to boost understanding
Sometimes it pays to go back to the basics to help take our communication to the next level. Userlike refreshes us on 6 key communication concepts:
- the Iceberg Principle
- the negativity bias
- processing fluency
- the 7 Cs of communication
- expectancy violation
- cognitive dissonance.
Six communication concepts that boost understanding
The Plain Language Act 2022 and reo Māori
The Plain Language Act 2022 doesn’t affect Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016 (the Māori Language Act 2016) or the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. But you might be wondering what that actually means when you need to apply plain language to content that includes reo Māori.
This article from Write Limited helps clear a few things up, and offers lots of good advice about the benefits of both reo Māori and plain language.
Does the Plain Language Act 2022 affect how you use reo Māori?
Write Limited have also published this handy summary of what the act means for us, as well as a couple of webinars covering the basics and some real-life success stories.
Find out what the act means for you
Need academic research to back up your technical communication decisions?
Here’s how to find it. Tom Johnson of I'd Rather be Writing gives tips for finding research to help back up your tech comm decisions in the workplace. He uses tools like ChatGPT, Google Scholar and the STC.org website.
How to find academic research to back up your tech comm decisions
How’s your bottom-up and top-down processing?
Connie Malamed of the eLearning Coach outlines the key ideas of bottom-up and top-down processing and the theory of how they influence the way people perceive information. She offers tips on how to design for each type of processing, and a list of references for more reading.
Design for bottom-up and top-down processing
UX writing for beginners
If you’ve ever wondered if UX writing is for you, find out here! This beginner’s guide from UXWritingHub tells you what it is, what skills and tools you’ll need, and how to get stuck in.
What is UX writing? A complete guide for beginners in 2023
Want to be a UX writer, but you’re an introvert?
Here’s a survival guide just for you. UXWritingHub help you acknowledge and appreciate your introverted superpowers, and find your way through the more ‘extroverted’ activities that are often part of UX writing.
The introvert’s survival guide to UX writing
Take on e-learning challenges with Articulate
We recommend checking out Articulate’s website for lots of great information and examples of how to create good e-learning content and experiences. They also issue fun, weekly challenges to help hone your skills.