Vestas style guide for technical documentation · 2015-12-04 · • All technical writers and...
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Vestas style guide for technical documentation How to write technical documentation at Vestas Wind Systems A/S 24-11-2015, Susanne M. K. Diedrichsen, Technical Documentation, Vestas Wind Systems A/S
Transcript of Vestas style guide for technical documentation · 2015-12-04 · • All technical writers and...
Vestas style guide for technical documentationHow to write technical documentation at Vestas Wind Systems A/S
24-11-2015, Susanne M. K. Diedrichsen, Technical Documentation, Vestas Wind Systems A/S
Technical Documentation teamDenmark: 14 employees
India: 10 employees
+ currently 16 consultants
Technical Documentation team
• Functions in the Technical Documentation team:
• Technical writingￚ Production documentationￚ Service documentation
• Editing• Illustrating/Illustrated Parts Catalogues• Translation
Language at Vestas
• Vestas Wind Systems A/S:• Corporate language policy ￚ Corporate language is UK English.ￚ Must cover the entire organisation
• Technical Documentation department:• Different (more specific) set of rules• Style guideￚ Vestas – How to Write ￚ Initial (light) version
ￚ Technical Documentation Style Guideￚ Current version
Technical DocumentationStyle Guide
Technical Documentation Style Guide
• Why have a style guide• Safety.• Uniform documentation across manual types and technical writers. (Quality and
professionalism).• Cost savings (also with a view to translation). (Economy)
• Working with a style guide• All technical writers and editors have been introduced to the Technical
Documentation Style Guide and must adhere to it at all times when writing technical documentation.
• The editor group enforces the rules in the Technical Documentation Style Guide when making the editorial review of the technical documentation. If it is found that the document does not live up to the needed standards, the work can be returned to the technical writer for rewriting.
Technical Documentation Style Guide
• Indexed book
• Print-friendly layout
• 1st copy printed and distributed in the technical writer/editor group
• Primary work tool
• Deeply rooted in the daily work
Technical Documentation Style Guide
• All users of the Technical Documentation Style Guide can suggest changes, corrections, and improvements to it at all times.
• All input is collected and evaluated by a style guide team which comprises technical writers and editors.
• The editors update the Technical Documentation Style Guide and review it.
• The Technical Documentation Style Guide is updated 1-2 times a year. Only on rare occasions, would it be updated more often (error corrections).
Examples from the Technical
DocumentationStyle Guide
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
• The Technical Documentation Style Guide contains:
• An introduction to technical documentation
• Guidelines for technical writing
• Appropriate use of language
• Illustrations
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
• An introduction to technical documentationￚ Product namingￚ Heading and titlesￚ Tables and listsￚ Referenced information
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
• Guidelines for technical writingￚ Styles (writing styles and formatting styles)ￚ Punctuationￚ Non-breaking charactersￚ Articlesￚ Voiceￚ Trademarks and product names
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
• Appropriate use of languageￚ Conventions of UK Englishￚ Correct use of verbsￚ Abbreviationsￚ Conventions for numbers and unitsￚ Punctuationￚ Vestas Term
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
Examples from the Technical Documentation Style Guide
• Illustrationsￚ Illustration format, size, and resolutionￚ Photographic compositionￚ Callouts for illustrationsￚ No text in illustrations
Thank you for your attention
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