The Cherryleaf Podcast

In this episode, Ellis Pratt talks with Ben French, leadership development consultant and business coach, about compassionate compliance: how leaders can use policies, procedures, and regulation to protect their people and meet legal obligations without creating a culture of surveillance, bureaucracy, or micromanagement. Drawing on their shared experience of helping organisations develop clearer p...

In this episode, Ginny Critcher talks with Ben French, leadership development consultant and business coach, about what it really takes to transition an organisation from founder-led to a more structured, process-driven way of working. Drawing on their shared experience working with a global football organisation, Ben and Ginny explore the tension between preserving the culture that made a company...

When two companies merge, the announcement typically focuses on synergies, market share, and shareholder value. What gets far less attention, until it becomes a problem, is the intricate work of actually integrating two distinct organisations into a functioning whole. At the heart of this challenge lies something seemingly mundane but absolutely critical: policies and procedures. The integration b...

In this episode, we explore how AI is reshaping the technical writing profession and what skills will matter most in the coming years. While AI dominates the conversation about the future, we dig deeper into what this means for technical writers, documentation strategy, and career development. Summary:  The role of technical communicator is evolving from document creator to strategic orchestrator...

High-quality documentation reduces support costs and drives product adoption, but traditional feedback methods often fail to capture the full user experience. This episode explores how modern documentation teams are combining AI simulation with human research to understand how different users interact with their docs. Key topics The problem with traditional feedback Understanding your user archety...

This episode explores common time sinks in technical writing and practical solutions to streamline documentation workflows, with a focus on automation and AI tools. Key topics covered Common time sinks identified: Chasing reviewers and SMEs for feedback Constantly shifting priorities and expectations Version control and format conversions (especially markdown/Word) Unproductive meetings Documentin...

In this episode of the Cherryleaf podcast, we look at how learning and how teaching is changing. We're going to see a change, and probably a rapid change in what content, staff, and users are given. We'll post a transcript of this episode to the Cherryleaf blog.  About Cherryleaf Cherryleaf is a technical writing services and training company.  Cherryleaf Cherryleaf Newsletter

In this special episode of the Cherryleaf Podcast, we're doing something a little different - a curated roundup of recent news, tools, research, and resources especially relevant to technical communicators. 🔔 Highlights & Topics Covered: 🆕 TechSmith Launches Camtasia Online 🛠 Vale Linter Introduces “Views” Feature 📄 Netflix’s Documentation Approach We review “Documentation that Developers A...

The way users want to access information may be undergoing a seismic shift. Some have suggested technical communication is rapidly moving towards a question-and-answer (Q&A) paradigm. As user behaviour moves away from reading and towards asking, we discuss how chatbots, AI, and Q&A-driven interfaces are reshaping the expectations and responsibilities of technical communicators. Takeaway qu...

In this episode, we dive into responses to the evolving digital landscape shaped by AI in search engines and changes in social media. We explain how Cherryleaf took inspiration from the viral success of the Museum of English Rural Life (Merl) and used AI chatbots to analyse Merl's approach. We share the key lessons learned - such as embracing an authentic voice, leveraging unique content, blending...

🔍 Episode Overview In this episode, Ellis explores how AI agents, especially autonomous AI agents, are reshaping the landscape of technical communication. What are they? How do they differ from traditional AI tools? And crucially, what does their rise mean for technical writers? Blending two recent blog posts, Ellis walks us through emerging tools like Manus, Opera's browser AI, and AgentQL, and...

Summary: In this episode, Ellis Pratt explores the critical issue of data privacy for technical writers using AI tools and chatbots. He delves into the potential risks, from data leaks and copyright infringement to compliance violations and intellectual property concerns. The episode also provides practical solutions and strategies for mitigating these risks, empowering technical writers to levera...

In this episode of the Cherryleaf Podcast, we explore the challenges of receiving and responding to criticism as a technical writer. Documentation plays a crucial role in user experience, and receiving feedback—whether constructive or harsh—can be an opportunity for growth. We discuss practical strategies for handling feedback, evaluating its validity, and implementing improvements to enhance docu...

In this episode, we reflect on 2024's trends and explore what may be coming in the world of technical writing and content development in 2025. From the impact of AI to evolving policy requirements and shifting market dynamics, we look into the key factors shaping the field. Reflections on 2024 Overview of the year's major trends in technical writing and client demands. Changes in government spendi...

In this episode, Ellis discusses the importance of networking and meeting other technical communicators, especially for those who work solo or in small teams. He explores various avenues for connecting with industry peers, from conferences and meetups to virtual groups and informal gatherings. Key Topics Discussed: Challenges of Solo Technical Communicators Many technical writers in the UK work al...

We explore an intriguing development in content creation: AI-generated audio from technical documentation. We’ve prepared two examples to showcase this technology, and we discuss its potential impact and applications. We used the user guide for Audacity, the popular audio editing application, to generate an AI-narrated overview: https://youtu.be/yPlfAPpqGuw?si=cCJeZ-hfvg_o--fg We also created an a...

In this episode of the Cherryleaf podcast, we explore the latest trends in technical communication as revealed by an in-depth analysis of conference themes from 2024. By examining data from leading events such as Tekom, TC World, LavaCon, and the STC Summit, we identify eight major themes shaping the industry, with a surprising dominance of AI and generative technologies. Listen in to understand h...

Remember the excitement when ChatGPT burst onto the scene? Suddenly, it seemed like AI was going to revolutionise everything, including our field of technical communication. But now, 18 months and six Cherryleaf AI podcast episodes later, we're asking the big question: Was it all just hype? You've probably heard some folks saying AI isn't delivering the promised return on investment. And others sw...

We've created some YouTube Shorts on promoting the value of techcomm. We talk about the process of creating the videos and the content in the videos. See also: Cherryleaf's YouTube Shorts Uncovering and communicating the value of your tech comm teams' work, with Keren Brown    We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog. About Cherryleaf: Cherryleaf

In April 2023, we conducted a survey into the use of AI and ChatGPT in technical communications. We thought it would be interesting to carry out a similar survey again.  In this podcast, we talk about the results from the survey and describe what has changed over the last 12 months. We'll post a transcript on the Cherryleaf blog. About Cherryleaf: Cherryleaf

This month's podcast looks at the language of persuasion and how technical authors can use it. What do we mean by persuasive language? What is nudging and are we as technical authors able to use this type of language? As part of the research for this podcast I watched some public information films and read articles which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations, authors and...

In this episode, we look at the current demand for contract Technical Authors in the UK, using statistics from ITJobsWatch.net. We look at the the number of vacancies and whether this has affected the rates offered. We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog. About Cherryleaf: Cherryleaf

This month's podcast looks at how large organisations create useful, informative content which is accessible to a wide, often global, audience. As part of the research for this podcast I looked at various websites which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations and their expertise. Here are the links to the ones mentioned in the podcast: Panasonic Ikea Gov.uk Fast Company We...

This month's podcast looks at what is involved in a corporate re-brand and what is involved for technical authors if their organisation decides to rebrand. What is a corporate brand? And what is involved when an organisation decides to rebrand? As part of the research for this podcast we looked at various websites which are mentioned in the podcast. Many thanks to those organisations and their exp...

Welcome to the first episode of 2024! In this exciting instalment, we dive deep into the evolving world of e-ink writing devices. Will these gadgets gain momentum in the tech world? We explore their rising popularity and forecast their potential to become mainstream tools. We'll dissect the key issues these devices address, unveiling the unique solutions they offer to modern problems. Our discussi...