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About > Derek Jardine

Derek Jardine - Biography

Derek has over 20 years experience in designing, and project-managing the development of, online knowledge environments. In June 2002 Derek founded Information Solutions, a company dedicated to the design and implementation of online information environments that are usable and accessible. Information design activities undertaken by Information Solutions include the development of information management strategies, project management, usability testing, and the creation of specific solutions such as site navigation models, taxonomies, content models, and customised content. These solutions provide knowledge workers with the context they need to quickly access and utilise the information assets in their organisation.

Derek coordinates the Postgraduate subject in Enterprise Content Management (ECM) at the University of Technology (UTS) in Sydney, Australia. ECM includes the strategies, processes and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content to support organisational outcomes. This subject provides an overview and explanation of ECM and its key components. It explores how ECM contributes to the management and use of an organisation's structured and unstructured information, wherever that information exists.

Prior to Information Solutions Derek was Manager, Online Communication Design, at Insurance Australia Group (IAG). He managed a team of highly skilled information design specialists (professional writers, editors, indexers, forms designers, and information architects), and project managers who performed a range of information development projects across the Group. Derek set up this team its inception in 1997.

During his time at IAG Derek envisaged the design and project-managed the development and implementation of a unique XML-based content management system, as well as implementing comprehensive knowledge bases used by IAG staff. The XML-based system (referred to as CMW Author) utilised many of the attributes common in DITA-based systems used today. The overall information solution involved significant upfront information analysis and provided customised Windows Help, HTML, and RTF output from a single XML source. Derek's presentation to the 2003 Australian STC conference provides a good overview of the information design process and publishing solution, after it had been in place for more than 4 years.

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