Overview:

Information. Sometimes, it feels like we’re drowning in it. Not only is content more accessible than ever before, but it’s in greater abundance – and on a global scale. So how do organizations like IBM process and leverage the seemingly infinite reserves of information within an enterprise?

Necessity is the mother of invention. So IBM got inventive.

To manage the growing cache of content – and make it more useful across a variety of applications – IBM “evolved” their methodology for facilitating information. The result was the creation of a new standard in content management called DITA (or the “Darwin Information Typing Architecture”) – featuring a unique, XML-based, end-to-end architecture for creating, producing and delivering topic-oriented content. The goal: make the content reusable in multiple ways, for online applications, product support, printed materials, Web pages and more. This was a radical new approach to authoring, managing and publishing content – helping to streamline processes, facilitate modular writing, promote content sharing and reuse, and improve information quality. 

Challenge:

To help promote the standard, IBM enrolled DaynerHall in creating a simple guide to the features and benefits of DITA. As a general mandate, this brochure would have to comply with IBM collateral standards. As an approved content provider for IBM, DaynerHall was equipped with a sensitivity to the brand standards of this global technology leader – and thus, capable of translating the requirements across a variety of applications.

Solution:

DaynerHall developed an overview brochure that helped to “map the genome”  in the “DITA 101 Guide.” DaynerHall’s lead technical writer worked directly with the product experts from IBM to create, edit and approve the draft text. To help visually depict the process, several technical diagrams were designed to help embellish the content and layout.

While providing a creative twist to the text and design imagery, a consistent adherence to the IBM core brand was maintained throughout the collateral piece.