The Cherryleaf Podcast

155. Dealing with Criticism as a Technical Writer Feb 12, 2025

In 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. Unconstructive
✅ Methods for evaluating the validity of feedback
✅ Tools and techniques to measure documentation quality (e.g., IBM Quality Matrix, analytics, usability testing)
✅ Addressing common documentation challenges: clarity, findability, audience mismatch, and linking
✅ Steps for implementing improvements and tracking their impact
✅ Preventative measures for reducing future criticism

Key Takeaways:

Criticism is not personal – It’s about improving the documentation, not attacking the writer.
Acknowledging feedback is crucial to building trust and ensuring continuous improvement.
Evaluating feedback critically helps differentiate between valid concerns and personal preferences.
Quality measurement techniques (analytics, support ticket trends, usability testing) can validate feedback.
Structured improvements through linking, clearer writing, audience targeting, and prioritization can make a big impact.
Continuous monitoring is necessary to ensure long-term effectiveness.

Mentioned Resources & Tools:

🔹 IBM Quality Matrix for documentation assessment
🔹 "Every Page is Page One" by Mark Baker
🔹 Google Analytics & support ticket analysis for measuring documentation success
🔹 Usability testing tools (e.g., video session tracking)
🔹 Style guides, templates, and content governance

Want Help Improving Your Documentation?

Cherryleaf specializes in fixing developer portals and technical documentation. If you're struggling with user feedback, contact us at info@cherryleaf.com for expert guidance.

154. Trends for 2025 and beyond in technical writing Dec 11, 2024

In 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 for AI in content creation.
- Challenges and potential pitfalls of AI-based solutions like chatbots.
Policy and Procedure Writing
- Emerging legal requirements influencing documentation needs.
- Shifting from static policy documents to active communication projects.
Training and Development
Future Trends and Predictions
- The growing importance of API documentation and developer portals.
- Increasing focus on user-friendly, contextually aware documentation.
- The interplay of economic trends and cross-border trade on technical writing projects.

Get Involved
Have your own ideas about the future of technical writing? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out via email or connect with us on our social platforms. Email: info@cherryleaf.com for enquiries or to share your predictions for 2025.

Thank you for tuning in! We wish all our listeners a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming episodes.

Website: Cherryleaf.com

153. Meeting and Connecting with Technical Communicators Nov 11, 2024

In 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 and Write The Docs London.
- London-based events like ISTC’s monthly gatherings and Write The Docs London meetups, which feature speakers, presentations, and networking sessions.
Benefits of Attending Events
Navigating Networking for Introverts
- Tips on starting conversations, showing empathy, and practicing conversational balance to ease networking anxiety.
Write The Docs London Event Recap
- Highlights from recent presentations by Neo4j’s David Oliver on building a documentation team and Mark Woulfe on using dashboards to analyze documentation performance.
Alternative Networking Ideas
Tips for Speaking at Meetups
Final Thoughts

Connect with Ellis Pratt:

Website: Cherryleaf.com
Social Media: LinkedIn and other platforms (search "Ellis Pratt")

152. From User Docs to Podcast Oct 11, 2024

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

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