Transcript Electronic Documentation Judges Orientation

Electronic Documentation Judges
Orientation & Competition Info
STC Boston/NNE Chapters
October 24, 2001
Welcome!
 Who
are we?
 Goals for this orientation
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Explain the guidelines for filling out judging forms
Ensure that you are familiar with the criteria
Make you comfortable with the judging process
Give you strategies for working as a team and
managing your judging time
– Tell you what to expect at the competition
– Give you practice judging
Why is judging important?
 To
improve the quality of our electronic
documentation by:
– Giving constructive feedback
– Recognizing good work being done
 All
entrants deserve quality feedback
 Judges benefit, too
– Seeing the newest work
– Networking with fellow online professionals
Inputs to Judging
How is this different from Pubs?
 Younger
discipline, changing every year
 Easier to get distracted by new & glitzy
 Fewer accepted conventions—depends
on the needs of the audience
 Not so much what’s right/wrong as how
well it works for the user
How is this similar to Pubs?
EDOC Awards
 Distinguished:
Mostly exceptional
 Excellence: Very good to excellent
 Merit:Very good with no major flaws
No longer have a 4th level of award
Directions to Compaq
110 Spit Brook Road
Nashua, NH
603-884-1010 (Security desk)
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Take exit 1 off Route 3.
Turn left onto Spit Brook Road.
Go through one light.
At next light, bear right, as if going into Sheraton Tara.
At next light, go straight onto Compaq drive (Compaq
sign on left).
Go up the hill and take the second left into Parking Lot B.
Take path at far end of the lot to the Compaq building.
Competition Day
Judges arrive, register, have coffee
 Welcome, overview of the day
 Teams meet, receive assignments
 First judging session
 Second judging session
 Third judging session
 Web judges arrive, working lunch
 View Best of Show candidates (colored dots)
 Team consensus meeting
 Best of Show judging
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Judging Tips
 Plan
how you will use your time
 Check out other entries
 Bring a laptop if you can
 If you do, also bring an extension cord
 Check entry numbers AND names
 Judge PDFs by intended use: online or
print
About the Criteria
 Common
set of standards for evaluating
entries
 Aid for writing feedback
 Numbers are guidelines: averaging
doesn’t work
– Not all categories are equally important
– Not all apply to every entry
Criteria: Information Design
 Focus
 Organization
 Balance
 Scope
 Topic
Length
 Use of Design Elements
 Graphics
Criteria: Writing
 Clarity
 Style
 Important
Terms and Acronyms
 Grammar, Syntax, Punctuation,
Spelling, Capitalization
 Parallel Structures
Criteria: User Interface
 Conformance
to Platform Standards
 Overall Screen Appearance
 HTML Extensions: Tables, Forms,
Frames, Scripts (web)
 Address Information (web)
 Resources Required to View (web)
 Alternate Interfaces (web)
Criteria: Navigation Aids
 Basic
Navigation Elements: Index,
Site Map, Search (as appropriate)
 Ease of Use
 User Orientation
 Links
 Finding Information
About the Scenario
 Orients
you to the entry
 Tells you who the users are and what
they need
 Substitutes for the application
 Should suggest tasks
 Read it!
Judging Process
Read the scenario: audience, category
 Look at the entry: check number & name
 Best of Show candidates get a colored dot
 Write up comments before team consensus
 Be considerate of other judges—don’t stand
behind and give running commentary!
 Group assigns awards, suggests Best of Show
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Looking at an Entry
 Check
name and entry number
 Read the scenario–What is this? Who are the
users? What will they need?
 Look through the TOC and the index: what’s
covered?
 Find info on some tasks: be the user!
 Study some topics closely
 Write/rewrite your comments for this entry now
(not during consensus judging)
Good Judging Sheets
 You
are the writer’s mentor!
 Be tactful, objective, constructive
 Judge each entry on its own merits
 Comments, examples are more helpful than
numbers
 Write legibly with pen or use laptop
 Resist the urge to craft your words!
 Use bullets, abbreviate, be concise
 Comments also help you during consensus
 Examples...
Strategies for Filling Out Sheets
Scratch sheets, erasable pens
 Summary sheets may be helpful
 Extra copies of judging forms
 Laptops are great! (bring floppy drive, power cord)
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– Diskette with form template, form available on web
– File name = initials_entry #: JCMH_E105
– Printer will be available for you to print at end of day
 Proof-read
your comments (but don’t fuss)
Major and Minor Flaws
 Major
flaws
– Interfere with the user’s ability to perform
tasks/find info
– Exist on global level, across entire product
 Minor
flaws
– Cause problems users can easily overcome
– Operate on a local level
Team Consensus Judging
Discuss each entry in detail
 Make sure feedback on census form is complete
 In case of disagreement, go back to entry
together and evaluate using the criteria
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– Note changes of thinking on your form, don’t rewrite
– Make your thinking clear on consensus form
Agree on award recommendations
 Be sure to see Best of Show candidates
 If you judge an extra entry, join the consensus
judging for that entry
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Lead Judge Checklist
things moving: don’t let your team spend
too much time rewriting!
 Keep comments developmental
 Move group toward consensus
 Revisit the entry, if necessary
 If deadlocked, call for another senior judge
 Promote good feedback, especially if team
disagrees
 Keep
Group Consensus Judging
 Team
leader reports whether the entry should
receive award, gives summary from completed
judging sheets
 Team leader comments on each candidate for
Distinguished or Best of Show
 All judges come to agreement on Best of Show
 Best of Show candidates should be sensitive to
conflict of interest
 Group may need to look at entry again and
discuss it
Practice Judging Exercise
 3700
POS Online Help
Thanks!
 See
you on Saturday, November 10
 Please fill out your orientation evaluation!
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More questions? Send email or call us...
– Carol Marsh Hobday • [email protected] • 978-292-4962
– Joan Wotkowicz • [email protected] • 978-952-2261
– Helen Chen • [email protected] • 781-442-8852