Resources (WIKI)The Environmental, Safety, & Health Communications SIG at the STC Conferences
The ES&H SIG participates every year at the STC annual conference with a membership meeting and a luncheon table where you can meet and network with other SIG members.
There are always sessions of interest to our members as well. Click the links in the menu to read about earlier conferences. You can download materials from many of the sessions from the STC conference session materials download page.
2007 STC 54th Annual Conference, May 13-16 in Minneapolis
ES&H SIG Activities at the Convention
Sunday May 13 7:30-9:00 pm Welcome Reception
- Be sure to visit the ES&H Welcome Booth, which we are sharing with the Science SIG.
Stay around and meet others, and hear about the other activities for ES&H members.
Monday May 14 5:30-8:30 pm
- ES&H SIG evening out. Monday (May 14), 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. hosted by our Minneapolis member Ann Shields.
Tuesday May 15
- ES&H SIG annual Business Meeting 7:00-8:15 a.m., Room 103F, Level 1 (same level as Exhibit Hall)
A cash & carry kiosk with breakfast foods will be nearby. - ES&H SIG networking luncheon 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Have lunch with us! Be sure to sign up for it when you register. http://www.stc.org/54thConf/networking/luncheons.asp.
Sessions of Interest to ES&H Communicators
The full schedule is available on the official conference website http://www.stc.org/54thConf/.
Interview with Usability Expert: Jared M. Spool (DA 3L)
Monday 1:30-3:00 PM, Format: Case Study
Jared Spool has long been a driving force in the field of usability, even before it was "usability." Through his initiatives, Jared has become a foremost authority on usability and design, helping organizations all over the world eliminate frustration from their products and services. In this session, friend and colleague Carolyn Snyder will interview Jared with questions she's collected from STC members around the globe. Topics such as breaking into the usability field, creating great designs, working in successful teams, and dealing with the fast-pace changing world of technology will make this session controversial and entertaining.
Speaker: Carolyn S. Snyder, Snyder Consulting
Case Studies in Publishing for Special Environments (PP 5N)
Tuesday 8:30-10:00 AM, Format: Case Study
This session details the documentation strategies built into the design controls process at a major medical device manufacturer. It also describes how one division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is delivering health and safety information to audiences through mixed media.
Speaker:Nicoletta A. Bleiel, ComponentOne
Research Reports in Usability (DA 7L)
Tuesday 2:00-3:30 PM, Format: Case Study
These presenters report on their experiences with a variety of usability topics: Electronic library accessibility for users with disabilities, public-oriented transportation website usability and processing of procedural illustrations.
Speakers: Amy Diehl, Michigan State U. Usability & Accessibility Ctr
Designing Visual Communication for Safety and Health Related Workplace Environments (AR 8D)
Tuesday 4:00-5:30 PM, Format: Research Report
What are characteristics of effective safety- and health-related workplace documents? This session explores the answer by presenting design elements 1) needed in safety training materials for Hispanic construction workers, and 2) evident in 29 insulin-glucose protocols from hospital intensive care units (ICUs). Recommendations will be offered for applying insights from these studies to other workplace situations.
Speaker: Carlos Evia, Virginia Tech
Case Studies in User-Centered Design and User Groups (DA 9P)
Wednesday 8:30-10:00 AM, Format: Case Study
These case studies describe research reports on user-centered design and provide guidance for working with organized user groups for your product to improve documentation.
Speaker: Carol Barnum, Dr., Southern Polytechnic State University
What's Psychology Got to Do with Style? Practical Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills (DD 10J)
Wednesday 10:30-12:00 NOON, Format: Mini-workshop
Three of the biggest challenges for effective communication in the workplace continue to be failing to achieve the (1) best writing style, (2) the best tone, and (3) the best conversational style for the purpose, audience, and context. This session helps participants meet these challenges more effectively through discussions and exercises on applying the psychology of style. Such a psychology not only concerns writing style, tone, and conversational style issues, but also how style is tied to persuasion and power.
Speaker: Dan R Jones, University of Central Florida
Don't Leave Me Out! Designing Usable and Accessible Web Sites (IDI 5G)
Tuesday 8:30-10:00 AM, Format: Presentation
How can a Web site reach as many people as it could? Specifically, should more people with special needs be able to get the information? This session explores how to design Web sites for people with unique needs. It considers practical applications of research on older Web users, blind users, low-vision users, low-literacy users, and others to the design of Web sites. Through video clips and Web site examples, this session demonstrates how easy it is to do a lot right now.
Speaker: Ginny Redish, Redish & Associates
Gluing Their Eyes to Your Screen (IDI 6J)
Tuesday 10:30-12:00 NOON, Format: Presentation
Research on online information design suggests a variety of moves that we can make to attract readers -- from typography to visual impression. This session presents empirical evidence on how people engage with online content -- from typography to layout to visual impression -- and suggests the practical implications for making people want to stay.
Speaker: Karen A. Schriver, KSA Communication Design & Research