Recommendations

Here are books and online resources that we’ve found useful in our work as technical communicators. We’re always looking for new entries!
Email us your suggestions with “Useful links” as the subject line.

General

Content Management for Dynamic Web Delivery
by JoAnn T. Hackos, Wiley, 2002.

Handbook of Technical Writing, 10th Edition
by Gerald J. Alred,‎ Charles T. Brusaw,‎ Walter E. Oliu, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.

Information Development: Managing Your Documentation Projects, Portfolio, and People, 2nd Edition
by JoAnn T. Hackos, Wiley, 2006.

Managing Your Documentation Projects
by JoAnn T. Hackos, Wiley, 1994.

The Insider’s Guide to Technical Writing
by Krista Van Laan, XML Press, 2012.

Graphic Design

The Non-Designer’s Design Book, 4th Edition
by Robin Williams, Peachpit Press, 2014.

Information Design

Beautiful Evidence
by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Press, 2006.

Envisioning Information
by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Press, 1990.

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd Edition
by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Press, 2001.

Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative
by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Press, 1997.

Dictionaries & Style Guides

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.

Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd Edition
Oxford University Press, 2004.

Collins English Dictionary, 11th Edition
Collins, 2011.

Fitzhenry & Whiteside Canadian Thesaurus, 2nd Edition
Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2009.

Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th Edition
Microsoft Press, 2012.

Microsoft Manual of Style Guide, https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/welcome/

Oxford Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs
by A. P. Cowie and‎ R. Mackin, Oxford University Press, 1993.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
University of Chicago Press, 2017.

The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market
by John R. Kohl, SAS Institute, 2008.

The Nonsexist Word Finder
by Rosalie Maggio, Beacon, 1989.

Typography

Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, 3rd Edition
by Erik Spiekermann, Adobe Press, 2013.

The Elements of Typographic Style, Version 4.0
by Robert Bringhurst, Hartley & Marks, 2013.

Web Design

Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS3, 2nd Edition
by Ben Frain, Packt Publishing, 2015.

Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery
by Jon Duckett, Wiley, 2014.

Tools

Madcap Flare 12 Developer’s Guide
by Scott Deloach, Clickstart, 2016.

Five Steps to Madcap Flare, 3rd Edition
by Lorraine Kupka, Fiddlehead Publications, 2012.

Websites

TechWhirl — Helping the world explore Content Management & Technical Communications, https://techwhirl.com/

Writing Assistance Inc., https://www.writingassist.com/resources/articles/

Tools

Adobe FrameMaker, https://www.adobe.com/ca/products/framemaker.html

Adobe Illustrator, https://www.adobe.com/ca/products/illustrator.html

Adobe Photoshop, https://www.adobe.com/ca/products/photoshop.html

Adobe Webinars, https://meetus.adobeevents.com/

Atlassian Confluence, https://www.atlassian.com/technical-writing-software

Lynda.com, https://www.lynda.com/
(includes courses such as MadCap Flare, Acrobat, etc.)

MadCap Flare, https://www.madcapsoftware.com/products/flare/

MadCap Flare webinars, https://www.madcapsoftware.com/resources/recorded-webinars.aspx#flare

Blogs

Karen Rempel, http://karenrempel.com/

Graphic Design

Inkbot Design, http://inkbotdesign.com/blog/
(logos, branding, print and web inspiration)

Behance, https://www.behance.net/

Creative Bloq, Art and Design Inspiration, http://www.creativebloq.com/
(graphic design, illustration, web design, typography)

Information Design

Robert Desprez, Robert Desprez Communications Inc., http://www.robertdesprez.com/category/vancouver_technical_writer/

Tools

Ivan Walsh, ihearttechnicalwriting, http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/
(technical writing, content management, career development)

Keith Schengili-Roberts, DITAWriter, http://www.ditawriter.com/
(DITA)

Tom Johnson, I’d Rather Be Writing, http://idratherbewriting.com/
(API documentation, visual communication, screencasting and video, information architecture, content strategy)

Typography

Jeremiah Shoaf, Typewolf, https://www.typewolf.com/resources

Web Design

ClickHelp, ClickHelp Technical Writing Blog, https://clickhelp.co/clickhelp-technical-writing-blog/
(technical writing, web design)

Vandelay Design, http://www.vandelaydesign.com/blog/
(latest design news and trends)