Speaker Profile

Wayne MacPhail

President, Online Writing Coach

"Why you should never draw a pig in clay or put the ticket taker in a tutu"—Web usability
Tuesday 10 September 2002

After over a decade in the online business, Wayne MacPhail is currently the Web coordinator for Centennial College. He’s been a print and online journalist for over 25 years.

After experimenting with hypertext systems as a reporter in the ‘80s, He founded and directed Southam InfoLab in 1991. InfoLab was a national research and development facility for future information products. InfoLab created some of the first educational CD-ROMs in Canada including True North — Arrivals and Understanding McLuhan. InfoLab also developed an SGML-based content management system for Southam in 1995.

In 1997 Wayne co-created Beavers — Canadian Content with Bite for AOL Canada. He went on to develop content for MSN, @Home Canada, Bell Emergis, CANOE, and Sympatico-Lycos. At Sympatico-Lycos, he was Director of Content. In 2000 he co-wrote one of the first pieces of online-only investigative reporting in Canada, Spin Doctors, www.canoe.ca/ChiroYork, for canoe.ca.

Wayne has also been the Chief Knowledge Officer for Cyberplex. He has taught online writing and computer/human interface design at Centennial College, Sheridan College, Ryerson University, McMaster University and the Summer Institute for Film and Television. Wayne has consulted on emerging media for Hollinger, the Ontario Science Centre, @Home Canada, the Metro Toronto Archives, Omega Performance and Canadian Geographic.

He’s also a published and produced playwright, a champion of usability, and the president of Online Writing Coach.

• Articles by Wayne MacPhail: http://www.rabble.ca/everyones_a_critic.shtml?x=3049