I am a professional writer with experience transforming complex information into useful communications, and writing clearly, concisely, and thoroughly in challenging environments. Please email ian at happen.net to contact me.
Summary of Skills
- Excellent research and writing skills
- Experience with web-based presentation of complex information for a variety of audiences
- Quick to learn complex systems
Work Experience
Freelance Copywriter, AmazonSupply.com, Seattle, WA, 2012 to 2013
- AmazonSupply is an Amazon.com site that sells industrial supplies to businesses
- Researched a variety of industrial products, using online sources and interviewing subject matter experts
- Wrote specific and thorough product descriptions without using marketing spin
- Designed Excel spreadsheets to partially automate the description of numerous similar products
Senior Technical Writer, Attachmate, Seattle, WA, 1998 to 2009
- Researched and documented complex business software that transfers data and business logic between web-based and mainframe applications
- Collaborated on user interface design for software products
- Created help systems, user's guides, and SDKs for a variety of audiences
- Led a team of writers tasked with converting help systems for a disparate group of software applications into a single seamless user assistance strategy for a comprehensive business software product
- Lead writer for several 1.0 versions of enterprise application integration products
Technical Support Analyst, Keane, Inc., Kirkland, WA, 1995 to 1998
- Designed an online technical support delivery system in HTML for the Keane Adobe Project
- Developed an online technical support expert system in PDF for Acrobat and PageMaker support technicians
- Provided technical resources, support, and training for all first level Adobe Acrobat support technicians
- Certified to support Adobe Acrobat and PageMaker (the precursor to InDesign)
Education
Grant Writing Essentials (4 credit course), The Evergreen State College, 2011
Certificate Program in Technical Writing and Editing, University of Washington Extension, 1997
This program is now called Certificate in Professional Technical Writing, University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education
Bachelor of Arts, American Culture and Education, The Evergreen State College, 1993
Volunteer Experience
- Served on the income panel of the Community Investment Process
- Evaluated grant proposals from local organizations
- Helped distribute books to low-income children
- Researched potential funders, wrote a grant proposal
- Designed and maintain the organization's web site (happen.net/ultimate)
- Tournament Director for annual local ultimate frisbee tournament, "Geofest," 2009 to 2013