This past weekend, I wrapped up a lot of odds and ends: dedication, acknowledgements, preface, about the author, introductions for each of the major sections. I finished up the illustrations for my last two chapters, and all I have left is edits for Chapter 9.

It's been a crazy ride, and I have a feeling the work is only just beginning. There's lots of marketing to do, and my blood pressure seems to be tied to my sales rank on Amazon. When I have a bit of time to breath, I'll put together a lessons learned, something for other new authors to get them started.

This morning I got an email from Bryce Glass who generously let me use some of his work in Chapter 6, Concept Models. I sent him a draft of the chapter and he a LOTS of great comments.

It occurred to me that while I could scramble to incorporate his feedback into the book (and no doubt it would make the book better), this is a good opportunity to kick off the online component of Communicating Design. A book is really just a static collection of ideas, but when it comes to technique and process, a symposium is a better medium because it offers multiple perspectives and opportunities to learn through discussion. I'd prefer to think of the book not only as a useful reference, but as a starting point for elaborating on the uses of documentation in the design process.

So, I'll soon be installing a wiki at Communicatingdesign.com to support this ongoing conversation. The purpose of the wiki will be to (a) support readers of the book with an ever-growing encyclopedia of resources and samples and (b) offer a public space to expore the ideas in the book.

If you have had good experience with a particular wiki, please let me know in the comments.