Introduction
Hey there!
In this article post, we are going to explore what Technical Writing is all about and why it is popular in the Technical community today!
This article will be broken down into series.
I recently took a Certificate course in Technical Writing on aptlearn.io and I learned so much in a few weeks, I am here to help break it down into simpler terms for people willing to go into the Technical Writing space.
Let's begin.
What is Technical Writing?
Technical writing is writing any type of document conveying technical information to turn complex subjects into simple content for readers to easily understand, relate with and apply it.
It is a form of communication that explains complex ideas and information clearly and straightforwardly. It involves creating documents, guides, manuals, or instructions to help people understand how to use products, operate machines, or perform specific tasks.
The three main categories of technical writing. They include:
Direct-to-consumer technical writing
Expert-to-expert technical writing
Technical marketing communications
Now, let’s have a look at them one after another and what they mean with examples.
Direct-to-consumer technical writings: These are technical writing contents written directly to consumers or end-users, the main aim is to simplify their product, services or process use and application. The user manual that came with your micro is a perfect example of direct-to-consumer technical writing. Other examples include user guides or manuals, employee handbooks, legal disclaimers, setup and installation guides, technical descriptions, and online articles.
Expert-to-expert technical writing refers to the practice of creating written communication between professionals who have specialized knowledge in a particular field or industry. In this context, the technical writer is responsible for crafting content that conveys complex and detailed information in a way that is clear, accurate, and understandable to other experts in the same field. This category is also known as Traditional technical writing. Good examples are whitepapers, technical documentation, legal case analysis and reviews, technical reports, and scientific papers.
Technical marketing communications are technical writing contents written by technical writers to market specific products or services. Examples include business proposals and pitches, whitepapers, informative articles, chain emails, promotional brochures, and case studies.
Who is a Technical Writer?
A technical writer is a professional who specializes in creating written content that explains complex technical information clearly and understandably. Their primary role is to communicate technical concepts, processes, or instructions to a target audience who may not have a technical background or expertise in the subject matter. A technical writer is also called a technical communicator.
The responsibilities of a technical writer often include:
Creating user manuals: Writing guides and manuals that help users understand how to use products, software, or devices effectively.
Documentation: Developing technical documentation for software developers, engineers, or other professionals to understand the inner workings of a system or application.
Instructions: Writing step-by-step procedures or how-to guides for performing specific tasks or troubleshooting issues.
Online content: Crafting content for websites, blogs, or knowledge bases to provide valuable information to users and customers.
Reports: Preparing technical reports that detail the results of experiments, research, or studies
Skills needed in Technical writing
Skills You Need to Become a Technical Writer
As a Technical writer, a large range of skills are required. Aside from the general skills required of a writer, there are some specific skills needed for a writer exploring the technical writing niche.
Let us look at the various skills:
Communication skills:
Technical writers are technical communicators, for that reason, as a technical writer you must possess efficient communication skills to be able to convey technical information appropriately to the audiences. Communication skills include clarity, purpose, coherence, openness, and confidence.
Technical skills
A solid understanding of the subject matter is crucial. Thoroughly research the topic and verify your information from reliable sources.
These skills relate to the technical knowledge of the subject matter of interest and that of the company. You need to understand the technical nature of the topic you are writing about. A few on-demand tech skills a technical writer may need include Marketing, Product Management, Project Management, and Programming languages.
Research skills
If you must be a technical writer you must be a good researcher because the technical writing process requires extensive research. As a technical writer, you must have a clear understanding and knowledge of the concept or subject matter.
Tool skills
A technical writer must know technical writing tools.
Technical writing tools include:
Adobe FrameMaker, document360, RoboHelp, Grammarly, AutoCrit, ProWritingAid, Google docs, Canva, Ms Word, AI (Chat GPT).
Editing skills
A technical writer must be very good at proofreading, reviewing, spelling and punctuation, structure, and tone of voice.
Design skills
This skill is optional. However, remember that the goal is to ‘write the most sought after technical documentation or book’. To make your documentation appealing and assimilable, technical documentation is visually written in graphs, charts, infographics and videos. Having basic design knowledge gives you an edge in the game.
Some of the design skills a technical writer needs include creativity, sketching, typography, visual communication, user experience design, and basic graphic design principles.
For example, Canva is a design tool used for graphics design and editing, it is easy to use because it has over 1 thousand ready to use templates.
Teamwork
Technical writers usually work with employees from all departments and large target audiences. As a technical writer, you must know how to build your team as well as work collaboratively with everyone on your team irrespective of the difference in backgrounds and areas of knowledge.
Important teamwork skills you need as a technical writer include communication, listening, time management, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration.
In our next article, we are going to be talking about the common examples of Technical Writing. See you!
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