Comments on Using Technical Communication Skills in User Experience

Noah Iliinsky — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:18:33 GMT

My TC graduate program at the University of Washington ( http://uwtc.washington.edu/ ) had a lot of focus on documentation and technical journalism. We are also strong in the areas of user research and usability testing (due in no small part to our department chair, Judy Ramey, a respected usability expert). My personal focus, information, interface, and interaction design, was addressed, but not to the same extent as the research and documentation branches.

However, I think it all fits together well. When people ask what TC is, or what our department does, I have a standard response: it’s about understanding an audiences need for information, and then satisfying that need, whether by documentation, journalism, a web page, software product, or device interface. By that definition, we all fit under the larger TC umbrella. Anyone with good TC skills probably has a good foundation upon which to build a UX skill set.

Nancy Zacks — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:45:44 GMT

As in information architect and technical communicator, I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. In working on a large taxonomy, I started to realize that I was using my audience analysis, business requirements analysis, and indexing skills from the “old days” as a software technical writer. I started thinking of more similarities between IA and Technical Communication and have recently concluded that the “inputs” to the tech comm and IA processes are very similar, if not the same. The outputs differ because the commumications MEDIA are different.

Nancy Zacks
preciseword.com

Rajdeep Gupta — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:04:46 GMT

It was really enlightening to go through your article specially for my interest in user experience designing. As a technical communicator, I believe if we can have excellent design in place than there won’t be any need for documentation. That would leave some of us out of job, and this is why I place so much importance in user experience design. Good stuff!

Scott Abel — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 06:17:06 GMT

Special T:

Right on target, as usual. Thanks for sharing…and for providing valuable information to those interested in growing their careers.

I can’t wait to hear your presentation, “Transitioning Your Career from Technical Writer to Technical Communicator,” at Documentation and Training: The User Experience in Vancouver, April 19.

I look forward to your sharing your experiences with us all.

Again, thanks for a great article.

Scott Abel
TheContentWrangler.com

Gordon McLean — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:09:46 GMT

I wonder if there is cause for flipping the statement round, slightly.

“Technical Communication IS I.A.”

I’m a technical writer, and part of the Usability team at the moment, and I’m constantly re-enforcing the notion that good information design, and structure, is an intrinsic part of the product. The product is not just the software but the entire experience the user has, and so includes the software, documentation, training, and through to cultural tone set by the company website.

Chris Pallé — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 04:35:48 GMT

Hey There…
I actually went down the similar path. Not really by choice, but it was the education courses I had available to me. Technical communication principles are extremely valuable when is comes to creating the user experience: advocate for the audience and do it concisely. Which is loud-and-clear in this article.

It was not the technical skills Theresa applied that really stood out, though. It was the fervency with which she applied herself. She saw opportunities that interested her and she seized them. That’s awesome and ultimately that’s what it comes down to: You have to almost altruistically apply yourself and consistently champion the audience, the visitor – not the “user” – it’s all about the PERSONs who are going using your applications.

Nice article, Theresa. Very encouraging.

Chris Collingridge — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:39:07 GMT

This is a really good article. I think sometimes technical ‘communicators’ don’t sell themselves well (this is often within the typical persona), and sometime they overstep their bounds in the organisation, and never get another chance. The key is making the most important stakeholders realise that technical communicators have value, and actually demonstrating that value when technical communications get the opportunity – exactly as you say.

There is lots of overlap between technical communications and IA, and between technical communications and interaction design. It doesn’t mean everyone wants to, or can, make that switch, but there are a lot of transferable skills for those that do.

Ray Whitney — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 04:35:41 GMT

Special T:

I followed a similar path, moving from technical communication to content strategy and IA. Yes, it is logical, and yes, it is possible, but there are a lot of folks who don’t see the connections.

I have noted to some colleagues that there is a little bit of IA within all technical writers. Technical communicators make the complex simple, using structure, language, and design. In essence, this is precisely what IAs do.

Another group of professionals who could make the transition are those involved with technical training. As a technical writer I used trainers as a primary source when I needed to understand the audience needs. Trainers possess invaluable first-hand knowledge of the product and the user base. Most have excellent people skills (that translate well into user interviews). Most easily adopt the user perspective (they *are* users, after all), and most have the technical savvy to communicate with designers.

Thanks again for the article.