More about the Technical Writing Course

If you don't have the people in-house (yet) to write your Technical Manuals, this course will help you.

Trainer's background

• Science and engineering education to postgraduate level at four universities.
  
  
• Wide industrial experience in various technologies.

If you don't have the skills to write your own technical documentation, you and your team can learn from this self-study, 150-page Training Manual.

You can use these skills for all sorts of subjects. Here are my examples:

Positive Contribution

As a technical author with technical, engineering, sales and business experience, I have made a positive contribution to all my clients, above and beyond just writing a Manual or an Online Help Guide.

Technical Experience includes -

Testimonials

Manual and Help Guide for University of Oxford, Cardiac research

"Philip wrote a software User Manual and an online Help Guide, as documentation deliverables for my EU-funded project.  He completed these on time, with the right balance of technical detail and user-friendly language. 
This was particularly impressive as the guides discussed the cutting edge of a specialist subject (computer models of cardiac electrophysiology).  
Philip was willing (and able) to learn enough about this subject to make it intelligible to others.  To do this, he had to get information out of our programmers: he refused to take “no” for an answer, but did it with grace and style. 
Thank you very much! "

- Katherine Fletcher, Project Manager, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford.

Several Manuals and Online Help Guides for the BP Shipping oil fleet worldwide

   For an Installation Guide:

   "I - am - impressed!
    Now I know why we use a Technical Author."

   - Nick Loizos, Business Analyst, BP Shipping.

Manuals and Online Help Guides for Gemini Data Loggers Ltd

"It's absolutely fantastic! It's so thorough, and way beyond what we imagined."
   - Natalie Roy, Product Manager.

"Your observational skills have not gone unnoticed. We really appreciate it."
   - Tom Galvin, Programmer.

Online Help Guides for Edge IPK Ltd

"I must say that there's been some excellent feedback. Everyone is saying that the Help text is very well written; they like the style. A lot of Help tends to be very dry, very hard work, but yours are a good read -  it's been well received. You're stealing the show at the moment!"
- Tony Hall, Software Development.

Online Help Guide for Enigma Health Ltd

"(Our customers) thought it was brilliant ... really good. They had a look through it, and everything was clear, concise and easy to access; colours and diagrams made it really easy to read. I'd like you to know you're doing a really good job."
- Fariha Hayat, Training Manager.

Online Help Guide for Medical Data Services Ltd

"Just a quick note to say how delighted both the Managing Director and myself are with the WinTAPS help file. It is extremely easy to understand and the writing style is a tribute to "plain English". I know that it hasn't been the easiest of jobs to do, but your results and effort have produced a professional, well written, fully explanatory document that will be a distinct advantage to WinTAPS in the future.

We are very impressed with it, particularly the animations that you use - I think they're extremely good. They say a thousand words in one simple action. Everyone who has contacted Tech Support has been told about this Help file, and they're all looking forward to it." - Richard Carpenter - Development Manager.

Manuals for Joh nson Security Ltd

"We've never had Manuals as good as this before!"

- Boyko Bejaniyski M.Sc.,
  Systems Engineering Manager.

Online Help Guide for CDE Solutions Ltd

"I had a look at the Help file over the weekend, and it's brilliant! You've pitched it just right. It looks better than the product itself."  - Steve Zamitt, Development Manager.

"I do like the Help Text; it's really plain and easy. You've given us more than just the Help text, you've given us an outside view. It's been invaluable. You've given us about 12 months of customer feedback in just a few weeks!" - G. Beddard, Data Architect.

Manuals and Online Help Guides for , and Eagle Star Pensions

Some of the many Application and Procedure Help files:

"The Procedure Help file you did is great! New staff are training themselves. I give them one procedure to learn, and they're moving on to the next one."
  - S. Winnan, Team Leader.




"I've heard a lot of good comments about these help files ... I would have no hesitation in recommending Philip for similar work"
   - P. Ayres, Business Systems Program Manager.
  

Online Help Guide for Elsevier Science

"I just wanted to let you know that I have spent some time looking at the Procedures Guide. It looks really great and extremely user friendly." 
- Frank Aguirre, Help Desk Team Leader, Elsevier Science, New York.

"I hope they pay you a lot of money, my friend - you're worth every penny!" - Rob Marsh,
Senior HelpDesk Analyst, Oxford.

Online Help Guide for NDC Health, Droitwich

"The help file has been very well received by our staff and customers. If you ever need a reference site in the future, I will be happy to help in any way I can. Everyone at NDC was extremely pleased with your work."
   - Steve Marriott, Marketing Manager.

Online Help Guides for Quota Pty, Sydney, Australia

"We shipped your Help Guide to our new Hobart City client and he was absolutely delighted with them. He said that if he had help notes like that with his old system he would not have had to get rid of it !"
    - John Williams, Managing Director.

Manuals and Online Help Guides for Torex Leisure

Comments from actual end users:

• "It helps me at a glance to see what may be useful to our particular system."

• "Clear and easy to understand. Very user friendly."

• "Easy to follow."

• "More helpful than previous style."

• "Easy way of passing on Training info."

• "Quickly highlights new features."

• "Sections are clearly identified, so can be given to appropriate staff."

• "Excellent presentation."

• "I notice that these upgrade notes are now in layman's terms - please produce new manuals in this style !"

• "For the computer illiterate - nice, simple, informal language style."

• "I found [installing the software] very easy because of the information and the presentation."

• "Nice plain English!!"