STC Rochester Chapter

A Bridge Between Cultures: Culturally Sensitive Document Design and Audience Analysis

Over the past 60 years technical communication “has grown significantly in North America and western Europe, but it has only begun to make inroads in Asia and eastern Europe in the past two decades” (Hayhoe, 2006). In this age of globalization, just translating documents into another language isn’t enough to satisfy localization. Current assumptions about document design cannot be presumed to also apply to “cultures whose characters are not the Roman alphabet, whose reading orientation is not left-to-right and top-to-bottom, and whose design principles and graphics are based on different aesthetic systems”. This presentation addresses the cultural differences and similarities in document design and communication that should be considered, and how the design decisions should accommodate the target audience.

Agenda:
5:30 Meet and Greet
6:00 – 7:00 Dinner
7:00 - 8:00 Presentation

Dinner: Monroe’s will be serving the following buffet dinner in the Vintage Room:

• Chicken French
• Rolls and Butter
• House Salad
• Pasta with Marinara Sauce
• Roasted Potatoes
• Steamed Veggies
• Dessert
• Coffee & Tea

When:
Wednesday May 9, 2012
5:30 – 8:00 pm

Where:
Monroe’s (in the Spring House)
Vintage Room
3001 Monroe Avenue
Pittsford, NY 14534
http://www.monroes3001.com/

How to Register Online:

1. Register at http://stcrochestermayprogram2012.eventbrite.com/
2. Determine your ticket type (e.g. STC Rochester member or non-member).
3. Select the number of tickets you want to order.
   Important: Only use the Enter amount ($) field for entering a contribution to the Kepner Awards.
4. If you want to pay online: Click the “Order Now” button to go to the credit card section. Complete the Ticket Buyer and Credit Card information, and then click the “Pay Now” button.
5. If you want to pay at the door: Click the “Show other payment options” link below the credit cards, and then click the “Pay Offline” button.

RSVP: Reservations are appreciated by May 7th (Monday). After that, please contact Jackie Paterson at programs@stc-rochester.org.

Meet the Presenter:

Merridith Brennan works as a Technical Communication Specialist for Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. in Rochester, NY. Merridith graduated from Clarkson University with a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication, and a concentration in Information Systems. She recently obtained a Master of Science in Communication and Media Technologies from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where she focused her studies on intercultural communication.
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Contact Lori Meyer at membership@stc-rochester.org to get on the STC Rochester e-mail list. Members and non-members welcome!

To renew your membership or to join Rochester STC, go to http://www.stc.org/membership/join-or-renew-now.

The fun has just begun for judges in this year’s Summit Awards competition. Entries are in, and judges are busy reviewing them. As usual, there is a good variety of work from local and regional organizations.

STC has changed its approach to assessing entries, so the comments that entrants get this year will be structured differently than it has been in previous years. This change offers an opportunity for new insights for entrants and judges alike. If you are interested in learning more about how entries are evaluated, STC makes judging materials available to members at http://www.stc.org/membership/recognition/competitions

Award winners will be recognized at the Spectrum conference in April.

If you missed this year’s opportunity to enter, it is not too early to set a goal for entering in 2012. The Summit Awards program offers a professional development opportunity and a chance for professional recognition rolled into one.  Put entering the STC Rochester Summit Awards Competition in your plan for September 2012!

Related articles

• Local Entries Receive STC International Summit Awards of Excellence (stc-rochester.org)

The STC Summit Awards, the Rochester Chapter annual technical publications competition,  is now open to everyone who produces technical communication. Entrants do not have to be members of STC. You may enter work as an individual or on behalf of a colleague.

We hope you’ll join your fellow technical communicators and take advantage of this opportunity to receive recognition and feedback from your peers on your best work. Please read on for competition details and links to documents you will need to enter.

What can be entered?

All entries must:

• Contain sufficient technical, scientific, medical, or similar content to qualify as technical communication
• Have been produced or substantially revised within 24 months preceding September 1 of the current year
• Have been originally prepared for and accepted for publication by a client, employer, or publisher

Entries are subject to all conditions listed in the General Information and Competition Rules.

What awards are given?

Three levels of recognition are possible in each competition category. These awards, in descending order, are:

• Distinguished Technical Communication
• Excellence
• Merit

One Best of Show award is presented for each of the four submission categories. Those are:

• Informational Materials
• Instructional Materials
• Promotional Materials
• User Support Materials

What are the Deadlines and Fees?

Entries will be accepted beginning Sept. 26, 2011.

Entry deadline is October 21, 2011, 5:00 pm. Please note that this is a firm deadline and that there can be no exceptions.

Fees per entry are:

• Member – STC Rochester chapter: $75.00
• Member – Another STC chapter: $85.00
• Non-member: $100.00
• Student: $40.00
• Early bird discount  (received by 10/7) : $15.00

If any contributor of the entry is an STC member, the entry qualifies for the applicable member rate.

How do I enter?

Follow these steps to submit your work:

1.  Sign up and pay your entry fee online. (If you prefer to pay by check, please sign up on the EventBrite site, make your check payable to Rochester STC, and deliver the check with your entry.)

http://stcrochesterpubscompetition.eventbrite.com

2.  Complete the Description of the Competition Entry form (3 pages) and the Entry Submission form (1 page). 

3.   Deliver or mail (in one package) four copies of your entry, four copies of the Description of the Competition Entry form, and four copies of the Entry Submission Form to:

Jan Peartree
Novatek Communications
500 Helendale Road
Suite 280
Rochester, NY 14609

Forms and Competition Information

Use the following forms for more infomation about competition rules, and to submit your entry. Both MS Word and PDF forms are available in the following list. Use the format that works best for you.

• 2011_General_Information_Competition_Rules2 (Word)
• General Information and Competition Rules (PDF)
• Rochester_2011_Annual_Competition_Entry_Form1(Word)
• Description of the Competition Entry (PDF)
• Rochester_2011_Annual_Competition_Entry_Form1 (Word)
• Entry Submission Form (PDF)

Questions

If you have questions about entering this competition, please contact Doug Eaton, Publications Competition Manager, at competitions@stc-rochester.org. Tel: 315.634.7284

You have an opportunity to respond to some of the best technical communications published in the past two years by volunteering to serve as a judge in the Rochester Chapter’s 2011 Summit Awards Competition. Participating in the judging of competition entries is a great way to learn some new ideas and to interact with communications professionals.

Judges usually focus on one or two competition categories and review approximately four submissions. After you receive a packet of entries to review, you have approximately three weeks to complete your evaluations. Then, you will meet with the other judges who evaluated those same entries to reach consensus on a single evaluation for each entry. This year, the consensus judging day meeting is scheduled for Saturday, November 19 (9:00 AM – noon).

If you are interested in judging, complete the application form linked below (either MS Word or PDF version) and send it to Jan Peartree by October 19, 2011.

• 2011 Summit Awards Judging Application (Word)
• 2011 Summit Awards Judging Application (PDF)

Doug Eaton, Technical Communications
Saab Sensis Corporation
315.634.7284

Congratulations to the recipients of Awards of Excellence in this year’s STC International Summit Awards:

• Xerox Color 800/1000 Presses Brochure
  Contributors: Xerox Creative Communications Group
• Fundamentals of Imaging Technology
  Contributors: Jeff Denmark, Sue Inzero, Dave McClelland, Patricia Roesch, Debra Stamp

These entries first received awards in the STC Rochester chapter’s 2010-2011 Summit Awards competition, the professional competition for technical publications, qualifying them for entry for the international competition.

An entry that wins an award of Excellence consistently meets high standards in all areas. The entry might contain a single major flaw or a few minor flaws. The entry clearly (if slightly imperfectly) demonstrates an exceptional understanding of technical communication principles.

Congratulations!