Ariel Feist

Technical Documentation & E-learning Specialist

Transforming Knowledge into Action | Global User Education & Cross-Functional Leadership

I am a user education and content strategy leader with over a decade of experience, specializing in the intersection of technical documentation and engaging e-learning experiences. My core focus is translating complex information into accessible, action-oriented content that drives user adoption and skill enhancement across all expertise levels.

As a supervisory leader, I’ve managed and mentored globally distributed teams (up to 8 members) through complex, cross-functional projects. This experience has honed my ability to align content strategy with broader business goals, resulting in:


Instructional Excellence: Significantly improved user onboarding and reduced time-to-competency for global employees by 20%.

Business Impact: Collaborated with Marketing and Product teams to leverage documentation, learning content, and global webinars for public engagement, contributing to successful product launches and driving 15% higher platform engagement rates.


I am deeply committed to fostering an environment of knowledge accessibility and effective team collaboration. I thrive on diving into new challenges, mentoring talent, and delivering meaningful, high-impact solutions, regardless of technical or logistical constraints.

Let’s connect if you are looking for an experienced, independent leader who can transform your technical documentation, enhance your online training material, and drive measurable content success!

ariel.feist@gmail.com​
650-219-8562​
Ariel Feist’s Profile

Technical Documentation

I’ve worked on a wide array of technical documentation, with different degrees of complexity. From software help files and APIs to installation & integration manuals, to security notifications, to blog posts and marketing mailers, my experience is extremely varied.

Instructional Design & LMS Management

With the ADDIE and SAM instructional design models frequently at the forefront of my approach, I have created a variety of interactive courses to cover employee onboarding, knowledge management & AI certifications, software tutorials, and more.

Marketing

Over the years, I was often tasked with writing up material for our Marketing department, some of which would be converted into scripts for videos I would make or collaborate on with others. I was also frequently asked to be the host of public and internal webinars.

A Brief Personal History

I began my Technical Writing career in 2013. In my first year, I had several trial-by-fire experiences that forced me to learn and adapt quickly.

One of which was a period of a month in which all other tech writers were unavailable, and I had to complete an entire set of documentation for a new version of the product that had completely changed its UI. This involved regularly working with product managers to get all the necessary updates to the product that were still happening within weeks of the release date, as well as updating the screenshots in the help for seven consoles and more than a dozen user guides. This was only one of many instances in which I needed to complete an extensive task with a short deadline.

Since then, I have been involved in countless projects that required my expertise in documentation, usability, marketing, and training. I worked my way up to a senior management position, in which I oversaw the efforts of a team of tech writers with varying degrees of expertise. During my tenure in supervisory positions, I have managed team members across the globe on several cross-functional projects. I’ve also been involved in projects outside of documentation and e-learning to help marketing teams drive engagement on public-facing platforms with innovative approaches.

With a focus on collaboration and a penchant for mentoring, I strive to foster an environment where knowledge is accessible, user education is effective, and team collaboration brings insightful and rewarding experiences. I’m always eager to learn something new and deliver meaningful solutions, regardless of the restrictions or limitations in a project’s scope.

My time as a manager of some very talented individuals was extremely rewarding, as I was able to work alongside and mentor them for several years and see them grow and improve as writers. However, I’ve always preferred to get my hands dirty when it comes to working on documentation, so I am more than eager to focus again on technical writing and instructional design.

Software & Code Proficiencies

%
Adobe RoboHelp/FrameMaker
%
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
%
MadCap Flare
%
Knowledge Management & Online Authoring
%
Instructional Design (Articulate & Captivate)
%
Video & Sound Editing (Camtasia, Sony Vegas, Audacity)
%
HTML
%
CSS
%
JavaScript
%
Python

My Experience

2021-2025
Sr. Manager, Documentation & E-learning

I led a team of 9 technical writers and instructional designers worldwide to deliver relevant documentation and learning content for each release of the company software.

2017-2021
Sr. Technical Writer

I was responsible for the vast majority of technical documentation for internal and external use. I led the project of publishing user guides and help files for the partner OEM projects. I was the sole author of a significant portion of the product.
In addition to my ongoing responsibilities, I also created marketing videos to showcase the features of new products.

2013-2017
Technical Writer

I handled the publishing of release notes, company blog posts, and application user guides. I was responsible for reformatting the application help files to match the completely altered user interface.
I was also the primary manager of the company’s LMS and created all of the interactive e-learning courses for several years.

Let’s Connect

I’m here to help and offer my expertise as a technical writer and instructional designer. If you need assistance with your documentation or learning management system, please feel free to reach out.