Let’s hack your help authoring process to make it more productive and effective!

Get Comfortable

Your physical and mental state directly influences your productivity that’s why it’s essential to make your workplace comfortable. It includes decluttering your desk, choosing the right chair, preparing healthy snacks.

The comfortable chair really boosts your productivity. I recommend that you buy a typical streamer chair. They are created especially for people who are sitting at least 8 hours because, you know, usually streamers sit all day long and can’t take a long break. That’s why I bought such a kind of chair, and advise you to do the same.

Listening to music is also a part of the productive working process as it helps to get the right flow. Usually, I listen to something without music like instrumental jazz, game music, classical music and so on.

Learn keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts were created to make your life and work easier, you should just learn some of them and you’ll quickly see the positive result.

Here are several common keyboard shortcuts for windows 10:

• Copy: Ctrl + C
• Cut: Ctrl + X
• Paste: Ctrl + V
• Maximize Window: F11 or Windows logo key + Up Arrow
• Task View: Windows logo key + Tab
• Switch between open apps: Windows logo key + D
• Shutdown options: Windows logo key + X
• Lock your PC: Windows logo key + L

More shortcuts are here: Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts

Here are several common keyboard shortcuts for mac:

Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts

• Command-X: Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
• Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
• Command-V: Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.

Finder and system shortcuts

• Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
• Command-E: Eject the selected disk or volume.
• Command-F: Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.
• Command-I: Show the Get Info window for a selected file.

Document shortcuts

The behavior of these shortcuts may vary with the app you’re using.

• Command-B: Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.
• Command-I: Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
• Command-K: Add a web link.

Command-U: Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.

Use a help authoring tool

In spite of the fact that a help authoring tool looks like MS Word, technical writers really need a HAT for many reasons (the reasons are based on my experience of using ClickHelp. Some tools may not have the following options):

• A HAT reduces time and efforts on producing documentation. The editor is the same as MS Word editor, so your knowledge is enough. There is no need to learn new skills.
• You can easily work with your team on the same user guide at the same time. You don’t need to send a document via email, wait for a review, search for the latest version — everyone has access to the document.
• You can easily publish your documentation, no need to create a website.

List of HATs:

• Adobe RoboHelp
• ClickHelp
• Doc-To-Help
• MadCap Software
• Help & Manual
• HelpNDoc
• Sandcastle

Make it available offline

Unfortunately, not all online documentation tools allow you to work offline but if you use Google Docs this mode is available there.

And if you need to turn on offline access from Google Drive, you can do so from any of your open Google Docs. Click File, then click Make available offline:

What are your hacks on writing effective tech documentation?