Defining what technical documentation is sets the stage for a mix of quality and comprehension. Technical documentation is an instructional process for the correct handling of a particular product, or as a provisional "how to" for most concepts. The documentation works with the persons strategic abilities in providing clarity on just about anything.
The instruction consists of three areas: That of product, process, and professional orientation. The quality of said instruction is dependent on the source, or person responsible for provision of the documentation. The quality of documentation varies and is dependent on the point of view of the person documenting, as the inventor of a product or concept generally is not the person who provides the clarification or instructional follow up.
Generally, by presumption if you invented something, you would be the best person to describe, and manipulate it. This factor does not necessarily hold true. Research has shown that inventors also presume that the product is self-explanatory in how it works. They are too close to the fundamentals, and if they were to attempt to provide documentation of an explanatory nature, there would be a lot of information that would be missing.
A documentation writer must be conscious of his own point of view and ensure that it does not affect the comprehensibility of the product as he is writing the technical information. It would be easy to make this mistake, and part of his tools are recognizing, the importance of user feedback in determining and incorporating balance within the document.
Orientation of the process involves the aspect of quality, with the quality in itself being reliant on the comprehension of the person putting together the documentation. Do not be led astray however, as the person documenting has been trained on this procedure. There are schools that one can attend to learn how to utilize the information passed on by the inventor.
There are schools just for the enhancement and education of technical writers. They learn how to effectively take the information from the inventor and document it effectively to a wide audience in understanding the what, and why of a product. Their professional demeanor comes across in the finished manual.
The exact format and design used by a technical writer will depend on the tools selected in an attempt to convey the overall concept. The writer's skills grow with every manual created. The diversity of products and design are beneficial for continuous growth and ease of delivery, while user feedback is crucial in getting it right.
Technical writers rely heavily on user feedback. No news would be a concept of good news to them. Feedback received is generally in the form of a complaint, alerting the company that there may be a potential problem with the relevant instructions to a product. Of course, it will take quite a few complaints for it to be determined that the documentation is ineffective.
The benefits of technical documentation provided to us by highly skilled writers enable us to be not only confident but also proficient in understanding about, and how, something works. This ensures that we get the best use out of a product, and learn the most fundamental way of taking care of it. Technical writers do not have an easy job, but they can make it look easy. Sometimes it can get a bit complex, but good feedback can work through any language barriers or confusion that may arise.
The instruction consists of three areas: That of product, process, and professional orientation. The quality of said instruction is dependent on the source, or person responsible for provision of the documentation. The quality of documentation varies and is dependent on the point of view of the person documenting, as the inventor of a product or concept generally is not the person who provides the clarification or instructional follow up.
Generally, by presumption if you invented something, you would be the best person to describe, and manipulate it. This factor does not necessarily hold true. Research has shown that inventors also presume that the product is self-explanatory in how it works. They are too close to the fundamentals, and if they were to attempt to provide documentation of an explanatory nature, there would be a lot of information that would be missing.
A documentation writer must be conscious of his own point of view and ensure that it does not affect the comprehensibility of the product as he is writing the technical information. It would be easy to make this mistake, and part of his tools are recognizing, the importance of user feedback in determining and incorporating balance within the document.
Orientation of the process involves the aspect of quality, with the quality in itself being reliant on the comprehension of the person putting together the documentation. Do not be led astray however, as the person documenting has been trained on this procedure. There are schools that one can attend to learn how to utilize the information passed on by the inventor.
There are schools just for the enhancement and education of technical writers. They learn how to effectively take the information from the inventor and document it effectively to a wide audience in understanding the what, and why of a product. Their professional demeanor comes across in the finished manual.
The exact format and design used by a technical writer will depend on the tools selected in an attempt to convey the overall concept. The writer's skills grow with every manual created. The diversity of products and design are beneficial for continuous growth and ease of delivery, while user feedback is crucial in getting it right.
Technical writers rely heavily on user feedback. No news would be a concept of good news to them. Feedback received is generally in the form of a complaint, alerting the company that there may be a potential problem with the relevant instructions to a product. Of course, it will take quite a few complaints for it to be determined that the documentation is ineffective.
The benefits of technical documentation provided to us by highly skilled writers enable us to be not only confident but also proficient in understanding about, and how, something works. This ensures that we get the best use out of a product, and learn the most fundamental way of taking care of it. Technical writers do not have an easy job, but they can make it look easy. Sometimes it can get a bit complex, but good feedback can work through any language barriers or confusion that may arise.
About the Author:
Allen Wright has been an outspoken supporter of proper technical documentation for 3 years now, and is a strong advocate of stereo instructions.
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