Case Study: Adobe Uses DITA

It’s not often you see a software company practice what they preach (structure content; write it once, use it often). Just look at how many content management software company websites contain out-of-date content. Metadata anyone?

Adobe Systems is, however, practicing what they preach. They recently used their own software (Adobe FrameMaker) and the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) to create and deliver product documentation for its Adobe Creative Suite 2. In this Adobe on Adobe Case Study, the software giant explores how their writers and editors, production artists, localization managers, and engineers completed and localized content for five products—translated into 14 languages for a total of 196 documents and help systems (over 111,000 pages)—in just 11 months. Talk about amazing!

Adobe Systems will present details of this effort, including some behind the scenes information about Idiom World Server, the globalization software used by Adobe to localize and deliver content to its geographically-dispersed user base, at the upcoming Adobe FrameMaker 2005 Chautauqua. Representatives from both Adobe and Idiom will be on hand to evangelize their use of DITA, providing attendees with details about their experience using the increasingly popular DITA standard to tackle their documentation challenges.

Bright Path Solutions, the producer of the FrameMaker 2005 Chautauqua, was also intimately involved in the Adobe FrameMaker implemention of DITA, providing consulting and training services to Adobe, and will be on hand at the conference to discuss considerations and other concerns organizations should address before adopting DITA for use with FrameMaker.

More articles about DITA : Lessons Learned : Usage : Technical Writing