Here, I highlight a few projects that demonstrate my approach and success as a writer, editor, instructional designer, and project manager.
I've written and edited content on a broad range of technologies, including popular software applications, hardware, programming and scripting languages, and more. Please contact me if you'd like to see samples of my writing, e-learning storyboards, or video scripts.
FOR DUMMIES BOOKS
Photoshop Elements 13 For Dummies
This book is an example of how I present instruction in the context of the learners' desired outcomes. For this edition, I collaborated with graphics experts Barbara Obermeier and Ted Padova to fine-tune the first and second parts. As a result, beginners start editing photos right away while still learning the basic image-editing concepts that they need to understand in order to achieve their desired results.
I collaborated with USA TODAY technology columnist Ed Baig and Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus on the first three editions of this book. We worked together to produce a top-notch book that delivered on the quality and promise of the For Dummies brand while still meeting aggressive schedules in order to be one of the first books to market.
Windows 8 All-in-One For Dummies
One of my great joys as a Senior Project Editor at Wiley was collaborating with well-known author and Windows guru, Woody Leonhard, on several editions of this book. It's is a great example of my ability to handle last-minute changes in beta software cycles and unexpected promotion opportunities. When Microsoft changed the overall Windows 8 interface before the product's final release, Woody and I worked together on a schedule and process for implementing changes to the text and figures in a 1,008-page book without delaying the production schedule.
After Wal-Mart and the U.S. Department of Defense announced they would require all suppliers to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging by mid-2006, I collaborated with the owner of ODIN technologies, Patrick Sweeney, to produce this book, which covers the physics, supply-chain logistics, statistical analysis, and business case for RFID implementations. Sweeney has a wonderful writing voice and assembled a great team of contributors for this book. However, he was also busy running a growing company. I helped him organize all his source content and his contributors' content into one cohesive guide. As a result, this book received an outstanding review from B&N: "RFID For Dummies is the most realistic, practical, usable RFID guide we've ever seen."
This book is also an example of how I can adjust my approach for complete beginners or technically-savvy individuals who just need a quick and structured introduction to a specific topic.
E-LEARNING
HTML5 and CSS 3 eCourse For Dummies
This project is an example of how I quickly learn the fundamentals of technologies. I taught myself how to read and implement the W3C's HTML5 and CSS 3 specifications in order to help a new author adjust his instructional approach to meet the needs of For Dummies readers. When the author unexpectedly passed away, I'd learned enough on my own and through collaborating with the author to finish translating the author's original draft into an approachable learning experience for the beginner.
Excel 2013 eCourse For Dummies
I developed storyboards for 11 lessons that progress from beginning to advanced features of Excel. Combining my background in developing effective assessments with my knowledge of the For Dummies brand, I adapted the text, created figures, developed scripts for over 90 short videos, collaborated with developers to create interactive widgets, and wrote quizzes and hands-on activities.
I adapted Word 2013 eLearning Kit For Dummies into this eCourse. It includes 11 lessons and over 60 videos that progress from beginner to advanced. Building on my experience as a writer and instructional designer, I grounded self-assessment quizzes and hands-on activities in real-world stories and visuals.