Best Plain English Technical Communicator 2011

Judges' comments

Note that this category is co-sponsored by the Technical Communicators Association of New Zealand.

Winner: Sarah Grundy, Department of Conservation

We felt that this publishing guidelines package was the most approachable and reader-friendly of all entries, enabling the reader to dip in or out easily, rather than having to read through dense content.

Written for an audience ranging from in-house authors to graphic designers using specific software tools, this entry meets all of the requirements of effective written and visual communication, applying them to technical communication.

What tipped the balance for this entry was the author’s excellent use of different 'voices' in the document to highlight different types of information.

Media statement

Finalist: Jon Hertzig, Electric Ink Ltd

This entry was outstanding for its clear explanations of exceptionally technical material in a range of formats, for its uniformly excellent instructional writing, and for its quality online help examples. This was a well-rounded portfolio from a communicator with both exceptional writing talent and technical understanding.

Media statement

Finalist: Meredith Evans, Streamliners New Zealand Ltd

This portfolio had several marked strengths. Crystal-clear language on topics including medical knowledge, online process instruction, and emergency engineering; thoughtful use of graphics and flow charts to illuminate important points; and particularly good use of headings and list formats to help the readers navigate.

Media statement

2011 Awards winners and finalists
2011 Awards

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