AGEN120 Technical Writing

1. What is Document Development
Life Cycle (DDLC)?

2. Objectives:
• To familiarize yourselves with the Document
Development Life Cycle
• To identify each component of the DDLC
• To apply practical example of how the DDLC is
used in everyday experiences
(formally/informally)

3. Overview
• The Document Development Life Cycle (DDLC)
is a sequential collection of various phases
that are used by a technical writer to create a
well structured and information rich technical
document. To achieve success in the field of
technical writing, one should have conceptual
knowledge of DDLC. Various phases of DDLC
are as follows:

4. What is the Purpose of a DDLC?
• Creates a baseline methodology for document
creation
• Leads to a well defined & structured technical
document
• Improves productivity and yields more
efficient results

5. DDLC Approach

6. Requirements/ Project Analysis
• In this phase the technical writer gathers the useful material for the
project and understands and analyzes all the information of the
project.
• Analyzes the document requirement, targeted audience and
documentation tools for throughout use.
– Intended towards the audience level Technical writer will decide the
complexity and depth of the document.
– Use of language level will be determined at this stage as well.
• The process involves a lot of effort.
– Information is collected from various sources connected with the
project (if applicable)
– Technical writers also search related information, on online libraries
and from the company resources and gather updated information.

7. Project Designing
• At this stage some estimates are decided like
approximate pages, format of the document,
several representation styles, etc.
• Subject knowledge, good writing skills,
sufficient information about the project will
help the technical writer to make a quality
document.

8. Developing the Content
• In this phase of DDLC, the actual content is
scripted on the basis of the project design,
which has been created in the preceding
phase. The required illustrations and graphics
are also prepared and inserted in the
document.

9. Editing/proof-reading
• At this stage, the document is thoroughly read
by the writer, and also verified by a third
party. It checks for all sorts of grammatical
errors. This verification ensures that the
document is ready for publishing.

10. Publishing
• Document is published by parent authority of
the document.
• Generally technical documents are published
either in digital format on internet or in hard-
copies and distributed along with module (e.g.
Software, Gadget etc.).
• Several Publication options can be used as per
the distribution requirement of document.

11. Content Maintenance
• At this stage collection of further updates,
modification is done. Also time to time
updated backup is taken.

12. Questions?? / Resources
• Technical
Communication Center
-
http://www.technicalco
mmunicationcenter.co
m/