Shows
The Cherryleaf Podcast164. Trends in technical writing careers for 2026 and beyondIn this episode, we explore how AI is reshaping the technical writing profession and what skills will matter most in the coming years. While AI dominates the conversation about the future, we dig deeper into what this means for technical writers, documentation strategy, and career development.
Summary:
The role of technical communicator is evolving from document creator to strategic orchestrator of complex information ecosystems. Success requires:
Proactivity: Identify problems and initiate solutions rather than waiting for direction
Strategic thinking: Design information experiences, not just documents
Technical depth: Level varies by organization and documentation t...
2025-12-1121 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast163. Discovering what different users think of your documentationHigh-quality documentation reduces support costs and drives product adoption, but traditional feedback methods often fail to capture the full user experience.
This episode explores how modern documentation teams are combining AI simulation with human research to understand how different users interact with their docs.
Key topics
The problem with traditional feedback
Understanding your user archetypes
Traditional testing methods that still work
AI user simulation: The new frontier
AI limitations to remember
The winning strategy: Hybrid approach
Resources mentioned
Reader-simulator by Casey Smith (open-source): github.com/caseyrfsmith/reader-simulator
Impersonaid by Fabrizio Ferri: github.com/theletterf/impersonaid
Cherryleaf...
2025-11-2830 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast162. Time sinks in technical writingThis episode explores common time sinks in technical writing and practical solutions to streamline documentation workflows, with a focus on automation and AI tools.
Key topics covered
Common time sinks identified:
Chasing reviewers and SMEs for feedback
Constantly shifting priorities and expectations
Version control and format conversions (especially markdown/Word)
Unproductive meetings
Documenting features too early (before testing is complete)
Tracking requests and managing follow-ups
Time zone coordination challenges
Working with poor or incomplete requirements
Solutions and strategies:
2025-10-1319 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast161. How learning and teaching are changingIn this episode of the Cherryleaf podcast, we look at how learning and how teaching is changing. We're going to see a change, and probably a rapid change in what content, staff, and users are given.
We'll post a transcript of this episode to the Cherryleaf blog.
About Cherryleaf
Cherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company.
Cherryleaf
Cherryleaf Newsletter
2025-08-1125 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast160. Technical writing news roundup July 2025In this special episode of the Cherryleaf Podcast, we're doing something a little different - a curated roundup of recent news, tools, research, and resources especially relevant to technical communicators.
🔔 Highlights & Topics Covered:
🆕 TechSmith Launches Camtasia Online
🛠 Vale Linter Introduces “Views” Feature
📄 Netflix’s Documentation Approach
We review “Documentation that Developers Actually Read: The Netflix Approach” by Pratjem Naik.
♿ Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Card Deck
Johannes Lehner’s printable & digital card deck for WCAG 2.2 helps with accessibility workshops and planning.
🤖 The Impact of Generative AI on Work Tasks
Stanford & Wor...
2025-07-1120 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast159. Towards a Question and Answer worldThe way users want to access information may be undergoing a seismic shift. Some have suggested technical communication is rapidly moving towards a question-and-answer (Q&A) paradigm.
As user behaviour moves away from reading and towards asking, we discuss how chatbots, AI, and Q&A-driven interfaces are reshaping the expectations and responsibilities of technical communicators.
Takeaway quote:
"It’s not about crafting a list of 20 questions. It’s about building a robust knowledge system that can handle any question and deliver meaningful answers."
Resources
Michael Andrews and Ardis Ramey on Q&A...
2025-06-1221 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast158. The Changing Marketing LandscapeIn this episode, we dive into responses to the evolving digital landscape shaped by AI in search engines and changes in social media.
We explain how Cherryleaf took inspiration from the viral success of the Museum of English Rural Life (Merl) and used AI chatbots to analyse Merl's approach.
We share the key lessons learned - such as embracing an authentic voice, leveraging unique content, blending education with entertainment, and encouraging engagement - and details how Cherryleaf adapted these for a technical writing services company.
Discover the creative content pieces we've launched, including "...
2025-05-1228 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast156: Privacy and AI: Risks and Solutions for Technical WritersSummary:
In this episode, Ellis Pratt explores the critical issue of data privacy for technical writers using AI tools and chatbots. He delves into the potential risks, from data leaks and copyright infringement to compliance violations and intellectual property concerns. The episode also provides practical solutions and strategies for mitigating these risks, empowering technical writers to leverage AI responsibly and ethically.
Key Discussion Points:
The Promise and Peril of AI: AI offers significant productivity gains for technical writers (content creation, first drafts, automation of tasks), but introduces critical privacy risks.
Potential...
2025-03-1222 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast155. Dealing with Criticism as a Technical WriterIn this episode of the Cherryleaf Podcast, we explore the challenges of receiving and responding to criticism as a technical writer. Documentation plays a crucial role in user experience, and receiving feedback—whether constructive or harsh—can be an opportunity for growth. We discuss practical strategies for handling feedback, evaluating its validity, and implementing improvements to enhance documentation quality.
Key Topics Covered:
✅ Why receiving feedback (even negative) is better than receiving none
✅ How to separate personal feelings from professional criticism
✅ The importance of acknowledging user feedback and addressing concerns
✅ Types of criticism: Constructive vs. Unconstructi...
2025-02-1220 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast154. Trends for 2025 and beyond in technical writingIn this episode, we reflect on 2024's trends and explore what may be coming in the world of technical writing and content development in 2025. From the impact of AI to evolving policy requirements and shifting market dynamics, we look into the key factors shaping the field.
Reflections on 2024
Overview of the year's major trends in technical writing and client demands.
Changes in government spending and its influence on projects.
Increased demand for documentation in AI, e-commerce, and SaaS sectors.
AI and Technical Writing
How generative AI is reshaping technical documentation workflows.
Specific use cases...
2024-12-1124 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast153. Meeting and Connecting with Technical CommunicatorsIn this episode, Ellis discusses the importance of networking and meeting other technical communicators, especially for those who work solo or in small teams. He explores various avenues for connecting with industry peers, from conferences and meetups to virtual groups and informal gatherings.
Key Topics Discussed:
Challenges of Solo Technical Communicators
Many technical writers in the UK work alone or in small teams, limiting opportunities for professional exchange.
Conferences & Meetups
Ellis mentions conferences like TCUK and Tekom and describes the more casual atmosphere of meetups, such as those organised by ISTC...
2024-11-1120 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast152. From User Docs to PodcastWe explore an intriguing development in content creation: AI-generated audio from technical documentation.
We’ve prepared two examples to showcase this technology, and we discuss its potential impact and applications.
We used the user guide for Audacity, the popular audio editing application, to generate an AI-narrated overview:
https://youtu.be/yPlfAPpqGuw?si=cCJeZ-hfvg_o--fg
We also created an audio overview of Transport for London’s API using only their OpenAPI (Swagger) file as the source:
https://youtu.be/-j1yiFz8-Tc?si=WaRHpn0mgID8J4qX
We'll also...
2024-10-1117 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast151.Emerging Trends in Technical Communication: A 2024 Conference Insights Deep DiveIn this episode of the Cherryleaf podcast, we explore the latest trends in technical communication as revealed by an in-depth analysis of conference themes from 2024.
By examining data from leading events such as Tekom, TC World, LavaCon, and the STC Summit, we identify eight major themes shaping the industry, with a surprising dominance of AI and generative technologies.
Listen in to understand how these trends are influencing content strategy, user experience, compliance, and more, and learn how to position yourself at the forefront of these developments in technical communication.
We'll also publish a...
2024-09-1126 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast150. AI in technical writing: where's the ROI and is it all hype?Remember the excitement when ChatGPT burst onto the scene? Suddenly, it seemed like AI was going to revolutionise everything, including our field of technical communication.
But now, 18 months and six Cherryleaf AI podcast episodes later, we're asking the big question: Was it all just hype?
You've probably heard some folks saying AI isn't delivering the promised return on investment. And others swearing it's changing the game. So, what's the real story?
In this episode, we'll examine these claims through the lens of technical writing. We'll:
Examining recent claims about AI's lack of...
2024-08-1238 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast149: Promoting the value of techcommWe've created some YouTube Shorts on promoting the value of techcomm. We talk about the process of creating the videos and the content in the videos.
See also:
Cherryleaf's YouTube Shorts
Uncovering and communicating the value of your tech comm teams' work, with Keren Brown
We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2024-07-1121 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast148. Using AI in techcomm - 2024 survey resultsIn April 2023, we conducted a survey into the use of AI and ChatGPT in technical communications. We thought it would be interesting to carry out a similar survey again.
In this podcast, we talk about the results from the survey and describe what has changed over the last 12 months.
We'll post a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2024-06-1117 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast147. The art of persuasionThis 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...
2024-05-1311 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast146. What is the current demand for contract Technical Authors?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
2024-04-1111 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast145. How large organisations create useful, informative, accessible contentThis 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
Ikea
Gov.uk
Fast Company
We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2024-03-1113 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast144. Corporate rebranding - how it affects technical authorsThis 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...
2024-02-1213 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast143. e-ink writing tablets. Has their time come?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...
2024-01-1111 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast142. Trends in technical communication for 2024 and beyondIt’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...
2023-12-1121 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast141. What Techcomm problems can generative AI solve?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...
2023-11-1314 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast140. Kristof Van Tomme on the role of API and developer portals in Generative AI systemsWe 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
2023-10-1143 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast139. Techsmith’s Daniel Foster on the contentious relationship between technical writers and video contentWe 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.
Daniel regularly works with tec...
2023-09-1137 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast138: Generative AI and Techcomm, lessons learnt so farWe 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
2023-08-1112 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast137. Using AI in techcomm: the questions you’re askingAs part of our research into using generative AI in technical communications, we ran a survey to discover the questions that technical communicators are asking.
In this episode, we review those questions and identify some common themes.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2023-07-1218 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast136. Generative AI, what do the buzzwords mean?When people talk about AI, chatbots, and tools like ChatGPT, all the new terminology can make it hard to understand how it all works. In this episode, we're going to look at the definitions of some of the words that you might hear.
Register for our webinar Using AI in techcomm: What you asked, and the answers
Thursday 29th June 2023
As a way of bridging the gap between the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the specific needs of Technical Communicators, we conducted a survey within the technical communications community. We wanted to uncover the mo...
2023-06-1220 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast135. Writing procedures needed for regulatory complianceIn this episode, we talk about writing procedures that are needed for regulatory compliance.
By this we mean organisations that might be investigated by a regulatory body.
We describe the different approaches to creating the content.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2023-05-1219 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast134. We’re copying Google’s elearning courses, and how you can do it as wellWe wanted to talk about some ideas that we've taken from Google on how to present elearning video content. And to share them in case you are also involved in e-learning, and you wanted to copy these ideas as well.
We examine one of Google's videos from its UX Design course. These courses are on YouTube, so it’s possible to view them without having to sign up to a course.
Link to the video:
Intro to UX (User Experience)
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2023-04-1134 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast133. What will ChatGPT mean for technical communication?It's been about three months since ChatGPT was launched. And we thought it would be good to look at really the status of what ChatGPT might mean for the future of technical communication.
And we did a blog and we did some experiments back in December, as have others, and people have reflected on the pros and cons of it.
And we thought it would be good to take a look at it today.
--
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
--
2023-03-1220 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast132. Dealing with a layoffIn January 2023, there's been quite a few layoffs in the tech sector. It's reported that Google has laid off 12,000 people, Microsoft 11,000, Amazon 18,000, Salesforce 8000. And there's also been layoffs at Meta, Cisco, Spotify, and other organisations.
In this episode, we're going to look at dealing with being laid off or being made redundant.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2023-02-1318 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast131. Diana Logan on GitLab and HackathonsWe talk to Diana Logan, Manager, Technical Writing at GitLab, about Gitlab’s approach to documentation and code.
We discuss:
Working in an “Docs as Code” environment
The upcoming GitLab Docs hackathon
Working for a fully remote, asynchronous organisation
We've posted a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
More information:
GitLab Docs Hackathon 23 - 27 January, 2023
Five fast facts about docs as code at GitLab
How to update GitLab documentation
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2023-01-1124 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast130. Trends in technical communication for 2023 and beyondIt’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 2023 and beyond.
Thread on LinkedIn
Thread on Twitter
We've posted a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2022-12-1320 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast129. Your first 90 days as a Documentation ManagerWe asked on Social Media
Someone joins as/becomes a manager of technical writing team.
What would you advise they do in their first 90-100 days?
In this episode, we go through the responses we received.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
The five pillars of content strategy:
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Five-Pillars-Approach-toolkit.pdf
2022-11-1117 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast128. Optimising Technical Documentation for SearchWe look at optimising technical documentation for Search Engines.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
Links:
Podcast 62 Looking back on the presentations at The Evolution of TC 2019 conference
99 Percent Invisible: Search and ye might find
2022-10-1123 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast127. Creating PlaybooksWe look at playbooks. We ask: what are they, and why create them?
We also discuss our approach for creating playbooks, and the different ways to publish them.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
Links:
https://trainual.com/manual/what-is-a-business-playbook-and-how-to-use-it-to-scale
https://sterlingwoods.com/blog/business-playbook/
https://www.tensorflow.org/community/sig_playbook?hl=en
https://docs.apigee.com/api-platform/troubleshoot/troubleshooting-introduction?hl=en
https://developers.google.com/business-communications/business-messages/files/bm-brand-playbook.pdf?hl=en
2022-09-1117 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast126. Retrospectives for documentation projectsWe look at the value of retrospectives at the end of a documentation project, and how you can run one.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2022-07-1116 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast125. Who we, and others, are hiringWe look at the types of skills we, and others, are looking for, when taking on freelance and permanent technical communicators.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2022-06-1019 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast124. Technical writing timesaversWe asked:
Does anyone have any techcomm timesaver tips they'd like to share?
This is what you told us...
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2022-05-1020 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast123. Document quality checklistsWe look at different ways to measure and check the quality of the content we produce.
References:
Developing Quality Technical Information (DQTI), Hargis, IBM, 1997
Peter Morville’s User Experience Honeycomb
Ilene Burnstein, Practical Software Testing
Teste e Qualidade de Software Software Reviews and Other Static Software Analysis. Rodrigo Back Almada. https://slideplayer.com/slide/14604162/
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
Our new training bundles:
Cherryleaf Technical Communication Courses
2022-04-1023 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast122. Github for Technical WritingWe look at GitHub and how technical communicators are using GitHub for creating documentation.
Our new training bundles:
Cherryleaf Technical Communication Courses
Video:
Creative writing with GitHub copilot
Hands on - AI pair programming with GitHub Copilot
2022-03-1022 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast121. What are the skills needed for developing a developer portal?In this episode, we look at the skills needed for developing a developer portal.
We also talk about our new e-learning course "Creating API documentation and developer portals", and Google's recommendations for the content needed on a developer portal.
We'll post a transcript to the Cherryleaf Blog.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2022-02-1018 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast120. Lessons learnt in 2021Happy New Year. We posted this question on social media:
What lessons have you learnt over the last 12 months? Working from home, wins, losses, mindset, managing the pandemic etc.
In this episode, we go through the responses, and reflect on what was said.
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
Pexels image: Julia M Cameron
2022-01-1019 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast119. Trends in technical communication for 2022 and beyondIt'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 2022 and beyond.
Thread on LinkedIn
Thread on Twitter
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
Image: Tuesday Temptation on Unsplash.
2021-12-1037 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast118. What‘s up Redocly?Cherryleaf's Ginny Critcher and Ellis Pratt discuss using the Redocly platform to create a developer portal and API documentation.
More information:
Redocly
What is your developer portal’s KPI score?
Cherryleaf
2021-11-1221 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast117. How to create an award-winning developer portalWith the Dev Portal Awards 2021 under way, we look at the characteristics of an award-winning developer portal.
Dev Portal Awards 2021
What is your developer portal’s KPI score?
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2021-10-1326 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast116. What should startups consider when writing their first docs?If a startup came to you asking for a checklist of actions they should take/consider when it comes to writing their first docs, what would you tell them?
We asked that question on Social Media. In this episode, we reveal what people said.
Get the ultimate user onboarding content checklist for start-ups
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2021-09-1615 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast115. Creating Learning and Development content with Flare (interview)Unexpected bonus August episode.
We spoke to Jennifer Morse, Vice President of Customer Success at MadCap Software, about the new Learning and Development features that have been included in latest release of MadCap Flare.
More information:
New Release: MadCap Flare 2021 r2 Bridging the Gap Between Technical Authoring and Learning & Development
Webinar recording: Major New Learning & Development Updates in MadCap Flare 2021 r2
New free elearning course from Cherryleaf:
Trends in Technical Communication
About Cherryleaf:
Cherryleaf
2021-08-1721 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast114. Nine common onboarding mistakes that software companies makeEllis looks at nine common onboarding mistakes that software companies make:
Not thinking about jobs to be done, but features
Overloading users with information
Writing for a single audience
Not providing or not co-ordinating the five pillars of onboarding content
Getting the timing wrong
Unclear goals
Leaving "seams" in the onboarding experience
Poor quality content
No testing or metrics
Take our quiz:
What type of technical writer are you?
Planning and creating content for customer onboarding – training course
Cherryleaf
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Photo b...
2021-07-2223 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast113. Using heatmaps & recordings to improve Hotjar's knowledge base, with Karissa Van BauleWe talk to Karissa Van Baulen, Customer Education Lead and Knowledge Base Owner at Hotjar.
We discuss how she has used heatmaps and playback recordings to improve Hotjar's knowledge base.
What does Hotjar do?
Why are heatmaps important?
How have you used heatmaps and recordings to improve Hotjar's knowledge base?
How easy is this to do?
How much time should you schedule?
What have been the benefits?
What have been the downsides?
If people want more information, where should they go?
More information:
The Importance of Using Analytics and Feedback for your Documentation...
2021-07-0825 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast112. Nobody ever wants to buy software, with Toby Chapman-DaweEllis talks to Toby Chapman Dawe of Strand UK about why he claims nobody ever wants to buy software.
Toby is Managing Director of Strand. Toby specialises in communicating the business benefits of enterprise technology. Formerly a journalist in the UK writing for trade and national press, Toby transferred to the world of advertising in the Netherlands. Later, he moved back to magazine publishing and conference management in the UK. Toby now runs Strand, the global writing and design agency that serves the enterprise technology sector. And he keeps bees, though not at Strand. (We did not t...
2021-06-2437 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast111. Building a developer portal using Flare - A new way to do itFor a while now, we’ve been looking at ways to import API reference content into MadCap Flare, so that we can use Flare to create a developer portal. Here’s the latest update on what we’ve learnt.
Videos:
Importing OpenAPI/Swagger API reference content into MadCap Flare 2021 to create a developer portal
Importing API reference documentation into a MadCap Flare project
Cherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company based in the United Kingdom. Part of that work involves updating and improving developer portals.
Cherryleaf also offers a Writing API Document...
2021-06-1022 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast110. After basic techcomm training, what next?In addition to the basic skills in technical communication, what other skills does a technical communicator need?
In this episode, we look at the areas where technical communicators deepen and widen their skill set. We consider what should be the topic for our (Cherryleaf's) next elearning course.
Twitter thread: Does anyone have opinions as to what should go into a course on creating content for (SaaS) customer onboarding?
Cherryleaf's Intermediate/Advanced Technical Communication training course
Vacancies page
2021-05-2724 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast109. Review of Google's UX design courseIn March 2021, Google published the “Google UX Design Certificate Program", as part of its Grow with Google scheme.
In this episode, we look at:
What is promised
How it's delivered
What's in the course
Career prospects
Related information:
https://grow.google/uxdesign/
https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-ux-design
Intermediate/Advanced Technical Communication elearning training course
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-05-1318 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast108. What you said you wanted from a course on creating screenshots and imagesRecently, we asked on Social Media:
What do you want from a course on creating screenshots and other graphics?
What topics would like a course like this to cover?
In this episode we'll cover the responses we got, and why we asked those questions.
Related information:
Intermediate/Advanced Technical Communication elearning training course
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-04-2919 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast107. Why communication skills are not enoughWe talk about an episode from the Smart Passive Income Podcast (Smart Passive Income Podcast 471 How to Become a Better Communicator with Kolarele Sonaike) and discuss why technical communicators' communication skills may not be enough for them to progress up an organisation's hierarchy.
More information:
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-04-1512 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast106. The mysterious Reuse Files button in Microsoft WordIn December 2020, a "Reuse Files" button mysteriously appeared in the browser version of Microsoft Word. There doesn't appear to be any documentation about it on the Microsoft website.
What does it do?
In this episode, we do some investigating to find out.
More information:
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-04-0112 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast105. What are the most common problems organisations make with developer portals and API documentation?On social media, we asked "what are the most common problems organisations make with developer portals and API documentation?"
In this episode, we look at the responses we received. We also discuss some of the other common mistakes that we've come across.
More information:
Cherryleaf's API/developer documentation writing services
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-03-1813 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast104. Fixing broken developer portalsWe look at some of the common content challenges organisations face with their developer portals, and ways to fix them. We also look at creating a friction log, and the complexity of banking related APIs.
More information:
Cherryleaf's API/developer documentation writing services
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-03-0220 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast103. Training during the Lockdown - Lessons learntWe discuss the lessons we've learnt so far from training in a virtual classroom environment during the Lockdown.
More information:
Cherryleaf's training courses
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-02-1121 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast102. Bridgerton, Brexit, and Cherryleaf: The Untold StoryEllis donned his finest brocade waistcoat and riding boots for an episode that was recorded in one of the locations used in the Bridgerton TV series.
He discusses the location, and the impact of Brexit on technical writing companies such as Cherryleaf.
Image by Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52540109
EU/UK TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT (see Annex 4 CPC 84)
More information:
Cherryleaf website
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2021-01-2817 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast101. Deborah Reid on usability testingWe spoke to Deborah Reid, Lead Tester at Bloom & Wild, about usability testing.
We discuss:
What is testing?
Is it only about accessibility?
Where is it used?
Why should organisations worry about testing/do testing?
Does it need a specialist to do it?/ What skills are needed?
How did you become a tester/what attracted you to it?
How is it done?
Browser developer tools
When should you test?
Deborah's Twitter account:
@deborah_reid19
More information:
Cherryleaf website
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com...
2021-01-1125 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast100: What you told us - the one goal you’re setting for 2021We asked the people who receive the Cherryleaf newsletter what was one goal (relating to work, career, or work-life balance) that they were setting for 2021. We received a lot of replies – thank you.
In this episode, we go through what you told us.
More information:
Word clouds from your responses
Ankerwycke
Cherryleaf website
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-12-1721 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast99. Trends in Technical Communication for 2021 and beyondAnother walking podcast, this time it's from Bedfont Lakes country park in west London.
We gaze into our crystal ball and make predictions for the future of technical communication for 2021 and beyond. We also share the thoughts of others in the profession.
Twitter thread:
What trends do you think there will be in Technical Communication (including UX writing) for 2021 and beyond?
LinkedIn thread:
What trends do you think there will be in Technical Communication (including UX writing) for 2021 and beyond?
Cherryleaf website
Cherryleaf new...
2020-12-0319 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast98. Judging the The DevPortal Awards 2020The DevPortal Awards bring together the API community to recognize, celebrate and learn from the world’s greatest developer portals and their API documentation. Ellis is one of the judges. In this podcast, he talks about the criteria the awards use to assess the different developer portals.
DevPortal Awards
Cherryleaf website
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Cherryleaf
Image of Penton Hook by Motmit
2020-11-1916 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast97. The Remote Work Decade?We discuss a thread by Chris Herd on Twitter about working from home, and the future of work.
Chris Herd's thread on Twitter.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Cherryleaf
2020-11-0534 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast96. Heroic Technical Writing, with Bart LeahyWe talk to Bart Leahy about his career as a Technical Writer and his book, Heroic Technical Writing: Making a Difference in the Workplace and Your Life.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Cherryleaf
2020-10-2227 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast95. Publishing a Kindle ebook in 2020Ellis describes his experience of writing and publishing a book on Kindle. He also discusses creating an audiobook for Audible and the latest options for printing a paperback book.
More information
https://kdp.amazon.com/
https://www.acx.com/
https://www.postermywall.com/index.php/posters/search?s=ebook#
https://www.fiverr.com/
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Cherryleaf
2020-10-0826 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast94. Judging technical communication awardsEllis was recently a judge for the UK Technical Communication Awards 2020. In this podcast we look at the process for judging the entries, and the variety of content submitted.
More information:
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-09-2419 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast93. Writing controls-based procedures during the lockdownOrganisations that take a controls-based approach to auditing typically need controls-based procedures. We look at how they differ from other policies and procedures. We also discuss how we're approaching procedures writing projects during the lockdown.
More information:
Cherryleaf procedures writing services
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash
2020-09-1011 min
Knowledgebase NinjasEssential Qualities of a Technical Writer with Ellis Pratt of CherryleafFull show notes here: https://document360.io/blog/essential-qualities-of-a-technical-writer-with-ellis-pratt-of-cherryleaf/If you enjoyed this episode then please either: Subscribe, rate and review on Apple PodcastsFollow on SpotifyKnowledgebase Ninjas is powered by Document360.
2020-07-2922 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast92. Newly released applications from Microsoft and Adobe that could help you be a better communicatorWe look at some newly released applications from Microsoft and Adobe that could help you be a better communicator:
Microsoft Fluid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy1Tyr93Sw4
Microsoft Editor
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/microsoft-editor
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/introducing-microsoft-editor-bring-out-your-best-writer-wherever/ba-p/1247931
Microsoft Lists
https://youtu.be/plshQSoe_OY
Adobe RoboHelp Summer Release 2020
https://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/2020/07/robohelp-summer-release-2020.html
More information:
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
2020-07-1624 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast91. BLM, inclusivity and techcommBlack Lives Matter (BLM), inclusivity and technical communicators: What can/should technical communicators do within and without their jobs?
BLM means recognising black people have historically suffered from prejudice and injustices, and that they still do today.
We look at:
BLM and techcomm outputs
Encouraging Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) people to become technical communicators
Technical communicators using their skills in the wider community to support BLM
Links:
Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/ellispratt/status/1274966367159095296
https://developers.google.com/style/inclusive-documentation
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/bias-free-communication
https://www.notion.so/9560a2fdb9364c1aa9e1ede6e6e84225?v=097d3...
2020-07-0226 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast90. Mike Hamilton on using Flare to manage content for chatbots, the UI, Help and Knowledge Bases all from a single sourceWe caught up with Mike Hamilton, VP of Product Evangelism at MadCap Flare.
We talked about:
How is Covid-19/lockdown affecting you and MadCap?
Managing chatbots, UI text, Help and KB articles from a single source
What's new in Central 2020
What's new in Flare 2020?
Are the new features a sign of future developments?
----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-06-1840 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast89. The end of corporate classroom training?With the Covid-19 lockdown, corporate classroom training has had to stop.
But will it come back?
In this episode, we look at:
Do we need classroom training?
How Google is converting its technical writing for developers classroom course to an online format
How we are approaching the conversion of our classroom courses
What others advised on LinkedIn
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Unsplash image: You X Ventures
2020-06-0426 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast88. Will Myddelton on moving from an oral to a written cultureIn this episode, we talk to Will Myddelton, Product lead at Local Welcome, about moving from an oral to a written culture within an organisation.
"An oral culture has huge advantages in that it’s fluid, easy to pick up, and doesn’t require a lot of attention to processes.
But it has a big disadvantage which is that knowledge is stored inside people’s memories, or embodied in the things that are made in specific contexts.
This creates problems when someone goes on holiday, and even worse when someone leaves.
It means...
2020-05-2133 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast87. Interview with CJ Walker about the technical writing scene in FranceIn this episode, we talk to CJ Walker, of Firehead, about the technical writing scene in France.
Firehead: www.firehead.net
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-05-0732 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast86. Covid-19 The future for organisations and for technical communicationThe COVID-19 coronavirus is having a huge impact on people and organisations. With so many things that could be about to change, how should technical communicators respond?
In this episode we look at:
How organisations might change during and after the Covid-19 lockdown
What that means for technical communication
Comments made by others on LinkedIn
What changes we've made at Cherryleaf
Links:
Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller - Your Checklist for Getting Through a Crisis
LinkedIn thread
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - fo...
2020-04-2330 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast85. Sara Feldman on how the writing in technical writing needs to evolveWe talk to Sara Feldman, about how the writing in technical writing needs to evolve.
We discuss:
The driving forces that are impacting our audience’s context in ways we need to account for in how we write
Things to do more
Things to do less
Customer-focused delivery
Think with Google: How consumer needs shape search behavior and drive intent
Sara Feldman on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarafeldman/
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
T...
2020-04-0933 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast84. Interview with Jen Lambourne, Knowledge Management Lead at Monzo BankWe talk to Jen Lambourne, Knowledge Management Lead at Monzo Bank, about her current work at Monzo and her previous role at the UK's Government Digital Service.
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-04-0237 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast83. Working from home during the lockdownWe look at working from home during the lockdown.
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-03-2609 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast82. Leadership and CommunicationWe look at the importance of communication in leadership. We look at how communication needs to adapt to different contexts.
Note: This recording was made before the Coronavirus crisis was fully appreciated.
-----
More information
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers.
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-03-1818 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast81. Writing Business as Usual policies to deal with a crisisWe look at the steps you need to take if you need to urgently create or update your Business as Usual policies and procedures.
--
More information
Cherryleaf
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-03-1221 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast80. Review of Google's Technical Writing Courses for EngineersGoogle has developed two technical writing classes for developers, which it has delivered to thousands of its own staff. In late February 2020 it made these accessible to people outside of Google.
But are they any good?
In this episode, we describe and review these courses.
See also:
Technical writing for developers training courses
--
Cherryleaf - for technical communication that keeps customers
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-03-0527 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast79. Content Strategy at Babylon Health, with Rahel Anne BailieRahel talks about Babylon Health and her role as Director of Content there. We discuss content strategy, content design, and the issues Babylon Health faces. We also look at the skills needed to be a good Content Designer, and how to get those skills.
Cherryleaf helps you find better ways to create and manage your content
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-02-2142 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast78. Whatever happened to User Generated Content?Go back to 2010 and the talk was about users writing the documentation.
But what happened?
-----
Cherryleaf helps you find better ways to create and manage your content
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-02-0720 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast77. How do you keep on top of the news and trends in technical communication?How do you keep on top of the news and trends in technical communication?
We share share the different channels that we use learn about the latest developments.
If you've got a source that you think we should know about, let us know.
-----
More information
Cherryleaf helps you find better ways to create and manage your content
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-01-2419 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast76. Trends in Technical Communication for 2020 and beyondWe look at trends in trends in technical communication for 2020 and beyond from three perspectives: skills, technology, and a section we called "but".
-----
More information
Cherryleaf helps you find better ways to create and manage your content
Cherryleaf newsletter
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2020-01-0919 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast75. The Christmas episodeFor our 75th episode, we have some fun at the British Museum.
We looked at some of the objects through the eyes of a technical communicator.
On the way, we managed to get a few things wrong. We mispronounced Jean-François Champollion's surname. It also turns out that the rules to the Game of Ur were discovered on a cuneiform clay tablet in the late 1980s.
More information:
Treasury of Education for Women
Tom Scott vs Irving Finkel: The Royal Game of Ur
Cherryleaf helps you find bet...
2019-12-1914 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast74. What is a taxonomy? Interview with Madi Solomon
In this podcast, Ellis talks to Madi Weland Solomon about taxonomies, metadata and ontologies.
We discuss:
What is metadata?
What is a taxonomy?
What is an ontology?
Why are taxonomies important to organisations?
How important are standards and policies?
How should an organisation develop a strategy for taxonomy?
Roles and responsibilities
How can a taxonomy expert help them?
What are the pitfalls? What shouldn’t you do?
Who is doing it right?
Is it only for big organisations?
Are there any tools that can help?
--
We have a hashtag for the podcast - #cherryleafpodcast
You ca...
2019-12-0540 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast73. Yvonne Cleary on researching technical communication practiceYvonne Cleary is a lecturer in Technical Communication and Instructional Design at the University of Limerick, in Limerick, Ireland.
In this podcast, Ellis talks to her about the courses at Limerick and her current research project. Yvonne is currently writing a book about technical communication practice, and, as part of that, she is interviewing technical communicators to gain insights about the field in the UK.
--
We have a hashtag for the podcast - #cherryleafpodcast
You can use it to comment on the episodes on social media.
--
More information:
Technical Communication & E-Learnin...
2019-11-2111 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast72. The MadWorld Europe 2019 tapesWe spoke to some of the delegates at the MadWorld Europe 2019 conference, which was held in October in Dublin. There's also some recordings from the conference itself.
--
We have a hashtag for the podcast - #cherryleafpodcast
You can use it to comment on the episodes on social media.
--
More information:
Cherryleaf helps you find better ways to create and manage your content
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-11-0741 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast71. Client stories - A content strategy for their user assistanceClient stories are where we talk about some recent projects. This episode relates to clients who have created a content strategy for their user assistance.
More information:
Cherryleaf helps you find better ways to create and manage your content
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-10-2414 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast70. Client stories - Documentation in developer portalsClient stories are where we talk about some recent projects. This episode relates to clients who have created API documentation and developer portals.
More information:
Cherryleaf's API documentation writing services
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-10-1012 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast69. TCUK 2019 - The reviewWe reflect on the main themes contained in the presentations at the Technical Communication UK 2019 conference.
This conference is hosted by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators.
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-09-2616 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast68. TCUK 2019 - The interviewsThis episode contains interviews recorded at the Technical Communication UK 2019 conference.
This conference is hosted by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators.
More information:
Cherryleaf's recruitment service
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-09-1332 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast67. Salaries for Technical AuthorsWe look at ways you can discover the average salary offered in different locations for Technical Authors.
More information:
Cherryleaf's recruitment service
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
Flickr CC image: Fotos 4RR
2019-08-2921 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast66. What platform should you use for an intranet?We look at the different types of platforms you could you use for an intranet.
More information:
Cherryleaf
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-08-1522 minThe Cherryleaf Podcast65. Making ReadMe files more engaging, with Shwetha Madhan of VMWareShwetha Madhan works as an Information Developer for VMware, in Atlanta Georgia. She recently worked on a new approach to the release notes for the Workspace ONE product, where VMWare effectively turned them into a powerful marketing tool.
They achieved a 7-fold increase in their click through rates (CTRs) by implementing a new tone of voice and engagement strategy.
We discuss this change, and how it has resulted in more searches with higher CTRs.
More information:
Advanced Technical Communication training course
Cherryleaf
To contact Cherryleaf: info@cherryleaf.com
2019-08-0127 min