Re: job title nomenclature on biz cards
Thomas...@bbc.co.uk
|In 12 years of contracting, I never saw a client give a consultant or
|contractor company business cards.
Well, I had been contracting for the last 8 or so years (recently returned
to the land of the 'permies'!) and EACH and everyone of the clients
provided me with business cards.
That is approximately 10 organisations, one of the few similarities
between them was that they are in European locations (maybe that is a big
difference). Some were US based (registered) co.'s, some were small (>10)
enterprises, some were global multi-nationals.
The common factor?
I believe is that when I met their customers (for me an intrinsic role -
finding out who the customer / audience is) they ALL wanted me to present
myself as part of their organisation and (most importantly) they did NOT
want me to present my own business card! (Although, after building up
relationships with some the customers specifically asked for my personal
card and further work arose from that).
So, What am I saying?
Well, the joy of being a Technical Editor/Writer/Author/Communicator /
User Experience Engineer / Information Architect or any other 'title' is
that we (Yes ALL of us) work in a field that is not limited by industry,
location, tools, or even - to a certain extent - language.
Rejoice! A 'good' writer/etc will be able to work across a multitude of
disciplines that normally limit the other worker bees!! A good 'un will be
able to work in medical, legal, IT, Media, Telecomms, Mobile Telecomms,
Engineering, Off-Shore drilling, Banking, Finance, Architecture, Road
Building, etc, etc.
We are a truely flexible profession and as such should embrace eachothers
different experiences and take them onboard - one day we may encounter the
same issue(s). Inherent in this flexibility is the problem of how we
define ourselves, this too should also be flexible to meet what we each
percieve to be our markets' requirements, whether it is 'Documentalist' or
'Fundamentalist' (obviously those working for games manufacturers!). If
it gets you the work go for it.
The only way to survive is to survive, If my title is CIO but the client
wants me to sweep up, then after explaining how ineffective and costly
this would be to them, I would ask "where is the broom?"
Sorry for the ramble.
Tom
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Suzann...@pattersondental.com
Bonnie commented, "How in the world am I to help the writer convey the
meaning of something if I don't know what the writer is actually trying to
convey?"
That, I believe, is a good indication that the intended audience won't
understand it, either, which a good technical editor like Bonnie will point
out.
-- Suzanne Cole
Bonnie Granat
Chuck Martin wrote:
| Far from vague, the terminology is not only accurate, but it
| encompasses the entirety of the discipline much better than
| "technical writer."
If your audience is made of technical communicators, great. Maybe they
will speak your brand of professional jargon. Maybe not.
But if your audience is made up of people who are not in the same field,
or not in the world of software, in which technical communication jargon
is known, the term "User Assistance & Experience Engineer" is so vague
as to be meaningless. Your explanations, which used terminology from the
field of technical communication, only solidify my opinion.
This thread was about business cards and job title nomenclature. If you
never want to work outside of a company that understands the narrow
jargon represented by "User Assistance & Experience Engineer," then
you're all set. But such a title on a business card is going to
severely limit the card's usefulness in communicating with audiences
that are more general.
Bonnie Granat
www.GranatEdit.com
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Mobile: 617-319-7461
Office: 617-354-7084
writt...@juno.com
| There is a refrigerator in the kitchen where I work. There are no
| obvious hinges, and no handles on the front. How do you open in, and
|
| from which side? Turns out, there is a recess in the *side* of the
| door
| where you can slide in your fingers and pull. You might find it as
| you're feeling around the edges of the door. Hopefully, the next
| time
| you use the refrigerator, you'll remember which side of the door
| this
| recess is on. This is an utter failure in user experience; the door
|
| design fails to communicate clearly how it is used.
I have the same type of refrigerator. I bought it at Sears. Before I
bought it, I looked at the other models on the floor. Some had handles,
some did not. All opened the same general way. Grab the door and pull. Or
grab the handle and pull.
Most people I know often grab the edge of the door and pull, so the
handle is hardly used. For all I know, most refers open on the same side.
If not, people will try the other side. This is usually done without much
thought.
Perhaps there are some things so obvious, they do not need to be
explained. I have seen dogs open refers and fetch a snack.
Bob
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Chuck Martin
writt...@juno.com wrote:
|>There is a refrigerator in the kitchen where I work. There are no
|>obvious hinges, and no handles on the front. How do you open in, and
|>
|>from which side? Turns out, there is a recess in the *side* of the
|>door
|>where you can slide in your fingers and pull. You might find it as
|>you're feeling around the edges of the door. Hopefully, the next
|>time
|>you use the refrigerator, you'll remember which side of the door
|>this
|>recess is on. This is an utter failure in user experience; the door
|>
|>design fails to communicate clearly how it is used.
..
|
|
| I have the same type of refrigerator. I bought it at Sears. Before I
| bought it, I looked at the other models on the floor. Some had handles,
| some did not. All opened the same general way. Grab the door and pull. Or
| grab the handle and pull.
|
| Most people I know often grab the edge of the door and pull, so the
| handle is hardly used. For all I know, most refers open on the same side.
| If not, people will try the other side. This is usually done without much
| thought.
|
| Perhaps there are some things so obvious, they do not need to be
| explained. I have seen dogs open refers and fetch a snack.
|
Well, here's the question: if you pull on the side of the door, how do
you decide which side to pull on if there are no obvious affordances?
How many times will you have to "try the other side" before you get annoyed?
As it turns out, this particular refrigerator has these recesses in both
sides of the door. I think I read about a similar design in one of my
books way back (probably in a Donald A. Norman book). It's done so that
the manufacturers can make one door that can have hinges on either side
with no other significant modification.
Elegant? Well, seems so. Until this refrigerator doesn't open on the
side you're used to opening refrigerators.
The design does not clearly communicate its use. Usability is sacrificed
for some aesthetic principle. Yet this does not have to be, and to
continue to inflict unusable designs in the name of aesthetics shows a
callous disregard by designers of their products' users.
--
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net www.writeforyou.com
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
The day may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our
friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day!
This day, we fight!"
- Aragorn
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
- Gandalf
Chuck Martin
Bonnie Granat wrote:
| Chuck Martin wrote:
|>Far from vague, the terminology is not only accurate, but it
|>encompasses the entirety of the discipline much better than
|>"technical writer."
|
| If your audience is made of technical communicators, great. Maybe they
| will speak your brand of professional jargon. Maybe not.
|
| But if your audience is made up of people who are not in the same field,
| or not in the world of software, in which technical communication jargon
| is known, the term "User Assistance & Experience Engineer" is so vague
| as to be meaningless. Your explanations, which used terminology from the
| field of technical communication, only solidify my opinion.
|
| This thread was about business cards and job title nomenclature. If you
| never want to work outside of a company that understands the narrow
| jargon represented by "User Assistance & Experience Engineer," then
| you're all set. But such a title on a business card is going to
| severely limit the card's usefulness in communicating with audiences
| that are more general.
|
Many everyday terms in common use by the general public were once
jargon. This is a case where I'm among the leaders toward enlightenment.
Such terms can and do open others' eyes, and I see no benefit in
limiting the scope of what I can do in this field because a particular
audience is behind the curve. I'll make the educational effort and bring
more people up to a higher and more expansive standard.
My own experience is that "user assistance engineer" has opened more
doors than "technical writer."
--
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net www.writeforyou.com
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
The day may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our
friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day!
This day, we fight!"
- Aragorn
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
- Gandalf
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
pe...@hotmail.com
Chuck asks:
<snip>
| How many times will you have to "try the other side" before you get annoyed?
Well, Chuck I would be quite embarrassed if it took more than one. :-)
Pam
Bonnie Granat
pe...@hotmail.com wrote:
| Chuck asks:
|
| <snip>
|> How many times will you have to "try the other side" before you get
|> annoyed?
|
| Well, Chuck I would be quite embarrassed if it took more than one.
| :-)
|
Besides, you just look for which side has the best counter space close
to the fridge, and then you just --- choose the other side. ; )
Bonnie Granat
www.GranatEdit.com
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Mobile: 617-319-7461
Office: 617-354-7084
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Michael Strickland
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Martin [mailto:c...@writeforyou.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 5:12 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: job title nomenclature on biz cards
Elegant? Well, seems so. Until this refrigerator doesn't open on the
side you're used to opening refrigerators.
The design does not clearly communicate its use. Usability is sacrificed
for some aesthetic principle. Yet this does not have to be, and to
continue to inflict unusable designs in the name of aesthetics shows a
callous disregard by designers of their products' users.
----------------------
I know this type of refrigerator, and it seems to be a paragon of usability.
As you noted, it has the recesses on either side, allowing the user to
change which way the door opens with very little effort. In other words,
such a refrigerator can be "configured" for any living space (to open, for
example, close to available counter space, unlike Bonnie's refrigerator).
Very versatile, very... usable.
restau...@gmail.com
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