The Art and Science of Documentation Management

As information becomes increasingly accessible through newly-introduced technologies, the human mind seeks a more comprehensive interpretation of the world in which we live. In order to manage this information overload, we must carefully reconsider our attitude towards documentation. While acknowledging the value of the standard guidebooks' hard rules on documentation management, Tonfoni advocates a new approach that promotes additional skills required for consistent decision-making, such as information sensitivity. This book has been conceived as a movie on paper, and as such, can be considered a 'documentary on documentation'. Readers are invited to analyse their own reading experience throughout a set of pages, to become 'interactive on paper'; some space is intentionally provided for practice and annotation. Exercises are included to help readers consolidate new skills, through an innovative 'learning by seeing' experience. Since history is based on documentation, every e-mail or memo we write becomes a part of our individual history. This book will be invaluable to those whose careers rest on accuracy, who need to create both succinct and clear reports and presentations.

As information becomes increasingly accessible through newly-introduced technologies, the human mind seeks a more comprehensive interpretation of the world in which we live. In order to manage this information overload, we must carefully reconsider our attitude towards documentation. While acknowledging the value of the standard guidebooks' hard rules on documentation management, Tonfoni advocates a new approach that promotes additional skills required for consistent decision-making, such as information sensitivity. This book has been conceived as a movie on paper, and as such, can be considered a 'documentary on documentation'. Readers are invited to analyse their own reading experience throughout a set of pages, to become 'interactive on paper'; some space is intentionally provided for practice and annotation. Exercises are included to help readers consolidate new skills, through an innovative 'learning by seeing' experience. Since history is based on documentation, every e-mail or memo we write becomes a part of our individual history. This book will be invaluable to those whose careers rest on accuracy, who need to create both succinct and clear reports and presentations.

Chapter One
Documentation management: an art and a science

Chapter Two
Documentation management through metaphors and analogies

Chapter Three
On envisioning documentation

Chapter Four
On iconizing documentation

Chapter Five
On visualizing documentation

Chapter Six
A few more exercises

Chapter Seven
Conclusions

Bibliography
Index