C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
ABOUT US
Dorian Harvey Communications can write and edit to a number of widely accepted editing standards and has expertise in several software programs.
Factor in membership in leading professional associations and related academic credentials, and you are assured of top-level, professional support for your communications projects.
Style Guides:
- American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style
- Associated Press (AP) Stylebook
- Chicago Manual of Style
- Modern Languages Association (MLA) Style Manual
- Publication Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)
Software:
- Adobe® Acrobat document-design software
- Blackboard Academic Suite course-management software
- HelpLogic® Help-Authoring Software for multiple platforms
- Microsoft® Help-Development Tool for Microsoft platforms
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Project, Publisher)
- Microsoft Site Builder website platform
- Wimba® Collaboration Suite virtual meeting software
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) — Special interest groups:
- Communications Planning
- Issues Management
- Media Relations/Public Relations
Society for Technical Communication (STC) — Special interest groups:
- Information Design and Architecture
- Scientific Communication
- Usability and User Experience
Adjunct Teaching
University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, MN; Graduate Programs in Software
View faculty web page
Course: Technical Communication (taught Fall 2008 to present)
- Intensive practice in communicating technical information in writing and in oral presentations as required by professionals in the fields of software engineering, software management, and software systems. Assignments address managerial strategies and tactics such as planning, evaluation, and project management, as well as issues related to business analysis.
North Dakota State University (NDSU), Fargo
View faculty web page
Course: Business and Professional Writing (taught Spring 2006 to present)
Intensive practice in the conventions of professional writing for business and professional audiences and contexts. Assignments provide opportunities to develop the skills needed to write and function professionally in corporate, not-for-profit, and small-business environments.
Course: Technical Writing (taught Spring 2006 to present)
Intensive practice in the conventions of technical writing to communicate technology's development and use. Assignments focus on the needs of both highly technical and more general readers, and are appropriate for engineering students and others who intend to work in science and the technical disciplines.
Education
- M.B.A., Marketing, University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul
- M.A., English, North Dakota State University, Fargo
- B.A., Philosophy and English, Minnesota State University - Moorhead
Before developing an independent communications business, Dorian Harvey shaped her writing and editing skills as a corporate writer and project manager for nine years and a university writing instructor for six.
This experience in large organizations, together with an M.B.A., has created an understanding of the business pressures and management expectations that form the unique context for each communications project.
Promotional Writer
1990 through 1993, Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis:
Worked with sales, marketing, and engineering staff to develop and write advertising, sales, and promotional materials for home-automation and temperature-control systems. Wrote brochure and sales collateral content for audiences that included control system distributors, home builders, and home owners.
Directed product photography and supervised design, layout, and pre-production for printed pieces. Worked with voice talent for audio advertising.
Senior Technical Writer
1984 to 1990, Honeywell, Inc.:
Worked with engineers to develop and write specification documents, installation guides, engineering data sheets, and user guides for building control systems. Wrote for audiences that included design engineers, installation technicians, and specifying architectural engineers.
Researched control systems’ function and operation in company development laboratories, and wrote drafts according to specific formats. Tested drafts of installation guides at construction sites, and drafts of user guides at customer beta sites.
Guided technical illustrators in producing exploded-view assembly drawings, installation diagrams, and schematic and system diagrams.
Writing Instructor
1989 to 1990, University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul:
Developed and taught cross-curricular, junior-level business writing course with assignments individualized for students' areas of study.
1979 to 1984, North Dakota State University, Fargo:
Taught junior-level business and practical writing, ephasizing formal and informal reports, proposals, presentations, procedure documentation, and the effective use of graphics.
Taught freshman composition, focusing on expository writing, academic writing, and research papers.
It can take a village—or an extensive network of talented professionals—to meet all of your communications needs. During more than a decade of working independently, Dorian Harvey Communications has developed a broad network of associates in all facets of communications.
Depending on your project’s scope, we can either bring in and manage the following additional services, or refer you to proven professionals:
- Market research: A professional market researcher systematically gathers, documents, analyzes, and runs scenarios on data and information about trends, customers, and competitors in a given market. A market researcher helps an organization answer questions such as “Who are my customers?” “Where are they, and how do I reach them?” and “What do they want from the type of product/service we’re selling?”
- Telephone research: An experienced telephone researcher can learn what the experts are thinking and capture their perspectives and insights before information is officially published. A telephone researcher also updates, cross-checks, confirms, or disproves information as needed.
- Certified project management: When a communications or marketing project requires coordination among several departments, a certified project manager creates a project plan that incorporates project goals, team structure, and a communication plan in order to seamlessly meet aggressive timelines.
- Professional design: A professional graphic designer applies time-tested, cross-cultural design principles and elements to the information that an organization publishes or displays. The designer is guided not only by the principles and elements of graphic design, but also by the client organization's image, message, and competitive objectives.
- Professional indexing: When an organization's readers or website visitors need quick access to the key concepts and terms in printed or web content, a professional indexer creates a comprehensive, accessible, and navigable arrangement of these points.
- Web and internet support: A professional web developer uses cutting-edge technologies to obtain measurable information about visitors' behavior on an organization's website. With this information in hand, organizations can learn who their customers are, strengthen their customer relationships, and meet their growth goals.
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