About

Hi, I'm Coley!

I'm a wordsmith who specializes in technical and UX writing. I write comprehensive documentation for software products and craft elegant copy to create an optimal user experience.

In my portfolio

You can also jump straight to the contact section to get in touch.

Fast facts

Queer Californian in France 🏳️‍🌈 🇺🇸 🇫🇷
who loves reading & the ocean, 📚 🌊
going on adventures with my dog, 🐶
& playing board games with my friends and family. 🧡💜

Skills

Technical Skills

  • User & developer docs
  • UX writing
  • Git & version control
  • Docs-as-code
  • Lightweight markup languages
  • Content management systems
  • Content architecture
  • Explanatory graphics

Communication & people skills

  • English: Native
  • French: Fluent
  • Advocate
  • Visionary
  • Public speaker
  • Attentive listener
  • Organized
  • Empathetic

Writing

Public cloud SaaS installation guide

Multi-cluster installation guide with instructions for creating and configuring a compatible Kubernetes cluster, configuring LDAP and SMTP, installing TLS, and configuring and installing the product.

Review installation guide

Product end-user documentation

Introductory-level, end-user explanation and tutorial content. This specific writing sample explains how the platform uses environment variables and how to create them.

Review end-user tutorials

Non-software example

College preparation curriculum to help students ages 14-18 prepare for, apply to, and pay for higher education in the United States. I no longer maintain this resource, but the scope of the course shows how I can organize and research information, then present it to a specific audience.

Visit curriculum

Speaking

Going beyond Pride month with 50 in Tech | June 2022

Building a more LGBTQ+ inclusive tech world

Let's chat about how to go beyond Pride month in the workplace with Mantombi Ngoloyi, 50 in Tech alum, and Loïc Dumoulin-Richet, TÊTU. We discuss all things intersectionality, rainbow capitalism, and more!

Watch replay

50 in Tech Salary Negotiation Bootcamp | November 2021

Real stories: how they augmented their salaries by over 30%

Intimidated by the idea of negotiation? Listen to the replay of Audrey Pedro, 50 in Tech, and me discussing how we successfully negotiated significant pay raises as women in French tech.

Watch replay

Codeurs en Seine meetup | May 2021

Docs-as-code: Document the product with the product

Producing excellent documentation should be considered a product feature, but how can we produce this documentation and keep it up to date? How can we ensure the participation of our technical collaborators who have the knowledge we need to document but might not like contributing to documentation? Let's discuss it!

Watch replay (French)

tech.rocks CTO gathering | September 2020

Challenges of Technical Documentation
(les enjeux de la documentation technique)

Technical writers are kind of like librarians or documentarians. They know where to find the information you need without necessarily being experts about everything.

I use a method called docs-as-code. It's a great solution when the people contributing to documentation have technical profiles. Using a docs-as-code system makes it more likely that developers will contribute.

Read writeup (French)
Illustration of Coley acting as a librarian by Tommy Dessine
Coley acting as a librarian, illustration by Tommy Dessine

Articles & interviews

Breaking Barriers and Embracing Inclusivity in Tech | January 2022

What really matters is seeing yourself in these spaces and remembering that what you have to bring is needed. The tech world needs you.

Read article

What’s in a term? A terminology standardization process | December 2021

Standardization unites everyone at the same starting point so we can move forward together.

Read article

Interview with 50 in Tech | 2020

We can’t magically have more female applicants to join tech positions. We need to start earlier, in primary school, to make sure women feel confident they can succeed in these fields. My advice to young women is simple: the tech world needs you.

Read article

Values

I am a queer, disabled woman in tech; my key values won't be a surprise!

  • Diversity, equity, & inclusion
    We need diversity and representation in tech. If that makes you uncomfortable, let's chat about it.
  • Accessibility
    Disabilty exists because the world's default is not accessible. Let's work together to change that.
  • Balance
    Work is only one part of my life. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is one of my non-negotiables.
  • Transparency
    Products are only as healthy as the people creating them. Transparency helps maintain trust and results in a better product.

Get in touch