The following comments are from two of the winners. We thanks all those who entered, and look forward to next year's ceremony!

For the BioBank User Guide: "The BioBank User Guide describes how to store and retrieve biological samples in and from the automated -80C BioBank freezer. The information in the guide is intended for users and system administrators who are responsible for storing laboratory samples in ultra-cold temperatures. Scientists who monitor the data from the samples in the BioBank may also find the guide useful.

"The challenge in writing this document was the lack of subject matter experts. Our company had bought the rights to manufacture and sell the BioBank, but did not retain any of the developers. So the main source material for this document came from actually using the BioBank, as well as from a set of poor translations of French service and user documents.

"Never having entered into an STC competition before, I did not know what to expect. I had hoped that all of the hard work in re-writes was good for something, though! By the end of the final draft, I knew we had a solid document in our hands. I was eager to enter the guide into the competition to see how I would fare compared to my peers. Plus, I knew that no matter how the document did, I would receive very valuable feedback that I could use in my next project.

"I am thrilled to see that our diligence paid off, and we received the award of excellence. I know that I owe the win to my colleagues for their advice, edits, and support."

For the Polara RS Lab System User Guide: "The Polara RS Lab System User Guide is a software and hardware user guide. 'RS' is the RapidStak hardware that moves sample containers from storage to a lab instrument and then back to storage. 'Polara' is the software that controls all the container movement among as many as four storage stacks and two instruments. The user guide enables laboratory personnel to install the hardware and software, and customize it for their particular environment. I wanted the customer to get as much value out of the lab system as possible while minimizing calls to service.

"Since we built the RapidStaks and designed and wrote the software, I was fortunate to have a machine right at my desk (though my neighbours weren't happy). This allowed me to get a hands-on feel for the hardware/software mix. As a result, I contributed significantly to the final software design (the hardware had already been released as a standalone machine). In addition, and this was the fun part, I accumulated 58 suggestions for improvement, of varying complexity and value, by the end of the project. Some of the suggestions were in the form of FFAQs, or Future FAQs. I imagined myself as a user and I would ask myself how to use the product to accomplish a certain task. If I couldn't find a way, I would write up an FFAQ such as: 'I want to start an assay at 18:00 (today, tomorrow, or on July 28). How can I do that?'; or 'I developed all my assays using a 2-stack RapidStak. I now have a 4-stack RapidStak. How can I batch convert my assays to the new configuration?'.

"When I started this project, my supervisor suggested I write up a value proposition for the product; that is, what value does it give you? I thought this silly because whoever buys one knows what they want it for, or they would not have bought it. I eventually caught on that the value proposition was mainly for me. It was invaluable in helping me keep focused on what, where, and how the user needs information. The value proposition is in the document (as "What can Polara RS Lab Systems do for you?") because it helps the user find other ways to use the product.

"The merit award is more than icing on the cake. It is verification that the user-centric approach works and is valuable.

"I will use the judges valuable comments to remove any remaining rough edges, which I obviously left in to judge the judges. They get a merit award from me."