The Cherryleaf Podcast

This month's podcast looks at the language of persuasion and how technical authors can use it.

What do we mean by persuasive language? What is nudging and are we as technical authors able to use this type of language?

As part of the research for this podcast I watched some public information films and read articles which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations, authors and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast:

• The British Film Institute (BFI) has a comprehensive catalogue of public information films as well as much other entertaining and informative material. You can watch the ones mentioned in the podcast by following the links below:

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

In this episode, we look at the current demand for contract Technical Authors in the UK, using statistics from ITJobsWatch.net. We look at the the number of vacancies and whether this has affected the rates offered.

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

This month's podcast looks at how large organisations create useful, informative content which is accessible to a wide, often global, audience.

As part of the research for this podcast I looked at various websites which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast:

• Panasonic

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

This month's podcast looks at what is involved in a corporate re-brand and what is involved for technical authors if their organisation decides to rebrand.

What is a corporate brand? And what is involved when an organisation decides to rebrand?

As part of the research for this podcast we looked at various websites which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast:

• indeed.com has lots of informative articles, their article on the importance of branding was very informative: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/rebranding

We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Welcome to the first episode of 2024!

In this exciting instalment, we dive deep into the evolving world of e-ink writing devices. Will these gadgets gain momentum in the tech world?

We explore their rising popularity and forecast their potential to become mainstream tools. We'll dissect the key issues these devices address, unveiling the unique solutions they offer to modern problems.

Our discussion spans the capabilities and features of these e-ink devices, delving into the functionality and user experience. Additionally, we identify and analyze a range of potential use cases, illustrating how these devices can fit into various aspects of daily life and work.

We also mention the market leaders driving innovation in this sector. Tune in to get an in-depth look at the future of e-ink writing devices and their role in shaping our digital writing landscape.

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

It’s that time of year for us to gaze into our crystal ball and share your and our predictions for the future of technical communication for 2024 and beyond.

We've posted a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog. 

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Microsoft's Akash Dubey has created a YouTube playlist that contains a series of interviews with people from Microsoft, Meta, Across Systems, and Cherryleaf, on lessons learnt with AI. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Utia1tpDy4cceBHsMDZFbyzVMWfijjG

Generative AI and Techcomm playlist on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyzNPwCV9rY&list=PLUsv4sNfwtYe3Crhz-ldp8JRoKLIh7k8l&pp=iAQB

In this episode, we look at what Techcomm problems can generative AI solve.

Technical writers today face numerous challenges that can hinder productivity and impact content quality. From managing high volumes of documentation to keeping pace with rapid product changes, it takes great effort to produce and maintain helpful, accurate, and engaging technical content. This is where AI comes in.

In this episode, we provide an overview of the common pain points technical writers experience and demonstrate how generative AI can effectively address many of these issues. From automating repetitive tasks to enhancing writing quality, AI-powered tools offer new capabilities that will transform the field of technical communication.

We discuss key applications like boilerplate text generation, text summarisation, grammar corrections, writing style adaptability, and more. With the right human-AI collaboration, technical writers can be more efficient, consistent, and creative.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog. 

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

We talk to Kristof Van Tomme, CEO of Pronovix, about the role of API and developer portals in Generative AI systems. We discuss how organisations can prepare for AI.

We talk about what documentation infrastructure organisations should have in place to be able to use AI safely from an information perspective. We also discuss whether developer portals will become even more important.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog. 

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

We talk to Daniel Foster, Director of Strategy at TechSmith,  about the contentious relationship between technical writers and video content.

A growing trend among technical writers is the integration of video content alongside traditional documentation and visuals, offering a dynamic and immersive medium to enhance user understanding and engagement. However, writers generally prefer words because they’re easier to reuse and scale, as well as being more efficient for their overall business. This leads to a rather contentious relationship with video elements...especially with clients specifically requesting more of them.

We discuss how technical writers can effectively manage this contentious relationship.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog. 

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf

Techsmith's Research hub includes:

We reflect on the lesson learnt so far as a result of developing our upcoming elearning course on using Generative AI in technical communication.

We will publish a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog. 

About Cherryleaf:

Cherryleaf