Technical Communication: A Bridge Between Users and Technology

Technical Communication is an amazing profession. Talented writers use the latest productivity software and knowledge of complex subjects to create information for other users to take and use on their own. But there is a rift between the writing part of the profession with the science and technology camp. Each side is skeptical about each other’s competence in addressing users’ needs.

The science and technology-minded practitioners claim that those who focus more on the writing lose sight of the importance of keeping up with the latest technology. They feel the writing-focused practitioners cares more about style, rather than presenting all the facts about certain subjects to users. By accommodating different audiences’ levels of expertise, this deprives readers of necessary information to complete a task.

On the other hand, the writing oriented practitioners see the science and technology crowd as inhumane. They argue that those practitioners and academics care too much about maintaining their expert status. Being the expert may alienate them from users who don’t understand complex subjects. Writers stress putting a user’s needs first, so the documentation creates a positive experience with technology.

The way to bridge these two camps together is to create a new philosophy for the profession. Each side must use its own strengths to anticipate and adapt to users’ needs. The scientific-minded can understand what is necessary to use a product or device, and the writers can use their talents to assess what is the best experience for the intended user.