This document outlines the key aspects of technical communications as a profession. It defines technical communications as communication about technical or specialized topics that helps end users and advances company goals. It then describes the typical deliverables and services, including technical writing, editing, illustrating, and more. The rest of the document discusses the tools, challenges, opportunities, and goals for technical communicators, such as continued influence on corporate guidelines and support for user experience work.

1. PROMOTE TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATIONS
What to say about the
profession if you have an
audience for 1 hour
By Wendy Barnhart Ross

2. OVERVIEW
Technical Communication definition
Technical Communication deliverables
Services we offer
Procedure overview
Tools overview
Challenges
Opportunities
Goals

3. WHAT IS TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATIONS?
Communication about technical or specialized topics.
Communication that helps end users.
Communication that advances the goals of the company.
For example,
let me tell you about the time I used the web to sign my child up for Spring hockey…

4. WHAT IS TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATIONS?
The work includes:
Technical writing
Technical editing
Technical illustrating
Information architecture
Research
Technical know-how
Budgeting
Creativity
Customer knowledge
Interpersonal skills
The work requires:
Leadership
Technical editing
Detail-orientation
Writing skills
Project management skills
Software skills
Translation coordination
User experience projects
Packaging design
Web design

5. OUR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS
Technical, curious, enthusiastic
Eager and quick learners
Detailed-oriented with a hint of art and marketing
User advocates
Skilled writers
Customer-focused

6. TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS
DELIVERABLES

7. SERVICES WE OFFER
 Proofreading
 Product photos
 User advocacy
 Usability testing

8. PROCESS OVERVIEW
Info Plan Research Content
creation
Review &
edit Approval Translate Release
How does this go
together? In what order?
How many can I connect?
Is this for a fire system?User and
Regulatory needs
CP
Release emails
Upload to web
Archiving

9. SOFTWARE TOOLS
 InDesign
 Illustrator
 Photoshop
 Adobe Acrobat
 DreamWeaver
 Screenpresso
 ST4
 Other tools

10. CHALLENGES But our tools don’t do that.
Corporate standards dictate…
Regulatory needs it when?
Who decides?
I need a sample.
This can’t fit in this box.
Where is the proofreader?
When did this project start anyway?
All you
have to
do is…

11. OPPORTUNITIES WE’VE EMBRACED
 Collaborative reviews using Adobe Professional
 Creating templates to meet customer needs and corporate guideline

12. OPPORTUNITIES WE’VE EMBRACED
(CONTINUED)
 Product Engineering Process involvement
 Training in products
 Training in Tech Comm standards and best practices
 STC competitions submissions for objective feedback to improve our work
and influence corporate standards

13. GOALS
 Continued influence on corporate guidelines
 Support and cooperation with the newly formed UX department
 New website – learn how our CMS inputs to the new website, develop
standards for making the website complete and user-friendly

14. QUESTIONS?
Wendy
Barnhart Ross
http://www.linkedin.com/in/
wendybarnhartross