Re: Learning/researching phase of writing

[CHUCK PETCH <PETCH -at- GVG47 -dot- GVG -dot- TEK -dot- COM>]

Erik said:

"I'm curious how folks on the list tackle the learning/research phase of
writing.

What do you find most beneficial:  Interviewing developers, hands-on experience
with a beta product, looking at actual code, design specs, etc.?"

Erik, I think this probably varies depending on what type of learner you are.
Personally, I am a visual/tactile learner, so I learn best by studying design
specs and marketing documents and literature, and by getting my hands on the
product itself.

I usually start a project by getting a brief overview of the product from a
knowledgeable generalist, such as the marketeer, the trainer, or the project
manager. At that time I ask for copies of whatever documents exist, and I study
those. If the product already exists, I go from studying the documents to
hands-on testing of the product. Last, I talk to the designers to fill in any
gaps in my understanding; I rely on them only to answer specific questions
because they are usually too focused on the specifics of their design or code
to give me a good overview. In fact, engineers often don't have a good overview
themselves; they only understand the part of the product that they have to work
on. My strongest allies and best sources of conceptual information are the
marketing, training, and customer service folks; they have the best overview.

Hope this helps.

Chuck Petch, Editor/Sr. Writer
Grass Valley Group
petch -at- gvg47 -dot- gvg -dot- tek -dot- com