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The latest change to this website was made on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

The July 14, 2010 Chapter Meeting

Topic:

    Focus On the User and the Rest Follows:
    Developing Personas to Improve Your Content

    Content about your company, products, and services is a critical resource for communicating with your customers.  But in today’s market your customers have never been more diverse or demanding. How do you meet their individual user needs? Such tools as structured content, XML, DITA, Component Content Management, and Dynamic Publishing provide the capability to manage and target your content. Technology gives you efficiency, but it doesn’t tell you who needs what. Understanding the content needs of your customers gives you the capability to create added value through your content.

    This interactive presentation with hands on exercises introduces you to the steps for developing personas and how using those personas can improve your product information and learning content.

    This session will help you understand:
    • The elements of detailed persona development, including task analysis and scenarios
    • The link between personas and the content model
    • How understanding customer needs extends the value of your investment in structured content
    • Why persona development is essential in a global market

Speakers:

    Joan Lasselle and Jana Humphreys

    Joan Lasselle        Jana Humphreys

    Joan Lasselle is the founder and President of Lasselle-Ramsay, Inc. Since 1982 Lasselle-Ramsay has helped global 1000 companies to get control of their new product or service content and deliver superior customer experience through content infrastructures. Lasselle-Ramsay has worked with industry leading companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, Boston Scientific, and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. Joan is a senior member of STC, ISPI, a past board member of CMPros, and a regular contributor at industry conferences.

    Jana Humphreys works with clients to design targeted learning and content solutions. Since 1992 she has worked on hundreds of curriculum design, custom training development, and technical documentation projects for a variety of organizations in the banking, finance, insurance, biotech, medical device, high-tech, and retail industries. Jana earned a Master's degree in Education/Instructional Technology from San Jose State University and is a past board member for the Silicon Valley Chapter of ISPI.

Date:

    Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Times:

    6:00 to 7:00 pm: Networking, conversation & dinner
    7:00 to 7:15 pm: Announcements
    7:15 to 8:30 pm: Presentation
    8:30 to 9:00 pm: Conversation, follow up on job announcements
    9:00 to 9:15 pm: Clear the room; move conversations to the sidewalk

Location:

    Highlands Country Club,110 Hiller Drive, Oakland, California