There are seven tracks at the 2013 Technical Communication Summit. See below for a description.
Content Development and Delivery
Writing, editing, and visual communication are the technical communicator’s core competencies. Sessions in this track should present best practices for developing clear and effective communication, provide practical information on using different media to communicate information, and address issues in writing for diverse audiences. Following content design and development, delivering that content when and where needed is critical. This track also explores issues in delivering existing content, with particular emphasis on systems and solutions for organization-wide publishing.
Content Strategy and Design
Developing a comprehensive content strategy and selecting the appropriate design and architecture can improve the efficiency, usability, and quality of an organization’s technical content. This track explores issues in information design and system architectures for publishing, with particular emphasis on systems and solutions for organization-wide content strategy.
Education and Training
New tools, technologies, and approaches are blurring the boundaries of technical communication and training. Sessions in this track should educate technical communicators on the tools and techniques of education and training, expose opportunities for synergy and collaboration, and enlighten conventional technical communicators about alternative approaches for delivering information.
People, Project, and Business Management
Management of people and projects are crucial skills and logical career paths for many technical communicators. Proposals in this track should address techniques, methods, and best practices for effective management of people and projects. In addition, proposals in this track should address needs of business owners and leaders.
Professional Development
Your career is a personal asset worthy of attention, planning, and management. Sessions in this track will help you maximize your value within an organization, identify opportunities for professional growth, and expand your career options.
User Experience & Accessibility
Technical communicators often take a lead role in shaping the user experience. Social media allows technical communicators to participate in collaborative, open conversations with users. Engaging and interacting with users is easier with social networking sites and tools like Twitter, Facebook, wikis, blogs, and forums. Sessions in this track should explore techniques for delivering information in highly usable and accessible formats, evaluating the usability of documentation, products, and services, and promoting attention to user experience and accessibility at all levels within an organization.
Web Design & Development
The Internet has had a transformative effect on the delivery of technical information and user assistance. Social media and technologies to facilitate community-driven content, such as wikis, also impact our approaches to web design and development. Sessions in this track will explore the underlying technologies and design principles that make Web content delivery effective.
