Introduction to Technical Communication

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Introduction to Technical Communication
Sami Frogell Mika Koski Mikko Puolimatka Hanna
Sutinen
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Contents

• Introduction
• Defining key concepts
• Why do we need technical communication?
• Technical communication in the business world
• Future prospects

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Introduction to Technical communication

• Technical communicators design and create
  information for users. Examples of the outcome of
  this process are user instructions, manuals and
  various online helps, such as context sensitive
  helps in computer applications, Web pages or
  mobile telephones.
• Technical communication means the process where
  information about products is designed, created,
  and communicated to end users. The end users of
  the target group may use this data to support
  their use of the product. The main objective of
  technical communication documents is to provide
  users with information that supports the
  effective use of the product or service in
  question. The products documented vary
  considerably ranging from individual software
  applications to jet engines.
• Technical documentation is referred to by
  different terms in different contexts. These
  include technical writing, information design and
  documentation planning. Technical communication
  can also include the production of other types of
  customer documentation, such as equipment
  descriptions, spare part lists or product
  specifications. The work of a technical
  communicator may also include writing other types
  of documents. Therefore, technical communicators
  may provide content for their company Web pages
  or write marketing material.
• - Finnish Technical Communications Society,
  18.9.2003

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Key concepts

• Technical writing
• A technical writer is someone who conveys
  information about a technical subject, directed
  at a specific audience for a specific purpose.
• A technical writer gathers information and then
  organises it and presents it in such a way that
  it is understandable and useful to the defined
  audience.
• Technical writers work mainly in the field of
  computer industry, but also in networking,
  telecommunications, science, medicine,
  government, the armed forces etc.

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Information design

• Information design is the art and science of
  preparing information so that it can be used by
  human beings with efficiency and effectiveness.
• Information should be organised by location,
  alphabet, time, category and hierarchy (the LATCH
  principle) and the existing mental models should
  be used
• As the amount of information increases by the
  day, information architects are needed for
  various purposes architecting anything between
  single web pages to big networks

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Usability

• Usability is a measure of fit between a product
  and a situation, the ease with which people can
  employ a particular tool in order to achieve a
  particular goal
• Usability is difficult to measure because users
  have different backgrounds and different skills
• User analysis and usability testing are the
  methods used to improve the usability of a
  product
• Good usability means satisfied customers, which
  generally is the main target of every company

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Localisation and internationalisation

• Making a product fit linguistically and
  culturally in the target locale, adapting
  products for foreign environments
• Distinction internationalisation means the
  adaptation of products for potential use
  localisation means the adaptation of products for
  a specific locale
• Things to be taken into consideration
• character encoding (different character systems)
• date format
• cultural values, cultural issues in the use of
  colours and images
• weights and measures
• language translation
• addresses, symbols
• local customs

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Accessibility

• The degree to which a system is usable by as many
  people as possible without modification
• The aim is to make things as accessible as
  possible to as wide a group of people as possible
  
• Examples (Internet)
• providing a text descriptor for every image
• avoiding the use of non-standard text formatting
  and layout
• providing a transcription for imbedded audio
  material
• making links descriptive but short

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Technical illustration

• Technical illustration is a way of communicating
  visually
• Technical illustrators prepare detailed drawings
  to help people understand scientific or technical
  information
• Excellent drawing skills and good understanding
  of technology are required for a technical
  illustrator
• Areas that technical illustrators work with
• textbooks
• reference books
• manuals
• film animation
• computer game illustration
• storyboarding for films

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Why do we need technical communication?

• Technical communication serves as a link between
  the theoretical and the practical world
• There is a need for turning complex information
  into something understandable
• Technical communicators serve as mediators
  between engineers and end-users they should look
  at the method of communication from the
  perspective of the audience to determine what
  style of language, artistic accompaniments, and
  degree of simplicity should be included in the
  design

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• If there were no means of technical
  communication, the world outside the wall of
  technology would have no way of personal
  advancement in technological knowledge or
  efficiency

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Technical communication in the business world

• Almost every industry employs technical
  communicators
• Technical communicators work in computer science,
  medicine, environmental studies, electronics,
  government, cinema, the aerospace industry, and
  just about any field in which people must use
  technology. They are an indispensable part of
  today's technological society
• Technical communicators play many roles in a
  company. They are educators and language experts
  who use all of their varied skills in the service
  of communication

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• Largely, technical communications is still a
  function within organisations, for which
  employees are hired full-time. However, many
  organisations are comfortable outsourcing their
  technical communications needs to specialist
  firms
• Most common academic backgrounds among technical
  communicators English, technical communication,
  science or engineering, computer science and
  journalism
• Technical background is a benefit

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With so many career options, it's no surprise
that technical communicators hold a variety of
job titles, including

• Technical writer
• Usability specialist
• Documentation manager
• Technical editor
• Information developer
• Documentation specialist
• Technical communicator
• Technical illustrator
• Manager of a technical communication department
• Teacher of technical information
• Web designer

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In addition to writing, technical communicators
do the following

• Create videos and films for corporations and
  industries
• Help design products, such as software programs
  and Web sites
• Conduct studies of the people who use their
  companies' products
• Act as advocates for user needs
• Ensure that products and instructions are
  understandable to people in other cultures (an
  essential task in today's global economy)

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Technical communicators gather information of a
technical nature and present or transmit it to
those who need it. They work in every medium,
including

• Written words
• Illustrations
• Video
• Multimedia
• Online help systems
• Web sites

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Requirements of a technical communicator

• good writing skills
• ablity to create intelligible and clear
  documents
• understand the end-users needs
• good stress tolerance
• ability to work in groups
• good computer skills

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A word from the professionals video clips,
click to open
What characteristics are needed in technical
communicators work? Jaana, localization
engineer, team leader Anu, technical writer
What skills does the job require? Anu, technical
writer Aine, user interaction designer
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Future prospects

• Because technology is everywhere in our world,
  technical communication has become one of the
  fastest growing professions a profession that
  offers a variety of career options. The
  pervasiveness of technology ensures that there
  will always be a need for technical
  communicators.
• Demand for technical writers and writers with
  expertise in specialty areas, such as law,
  medicine, or economics, is expected to increase
  because of the continuing expansion of scientific
  and technical information and the need to
  communicate it to others.

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Sources

• Material from classes by Minna Hekanaho
  (https//optima.oulu.fi)
• www.dokumentoijat.net
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/technical_communicati
  on
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability
• www.stc.org The U.S bureau of labour statistics
  occupation outlook handbook (2004-2005 edition)
• Van Laan, Krista Julian, Catherine. The
  Complete Idiots Guide to Technical Writing.
  Indianapolis Alpha Books, 2001.