Let's tech communicate
December 2023
In each edition of Let's tech communicate, we list articles, tools and links we hope will help you with your everyday mahi as a technical communicator.
Podcast recommendation for technical communicators
New to the technical communication field or ready to upskill? Here’s a series of interviews to give you a feel for the depth and breadth of content strategy/information design specialties, from conversational design to AI. These candid interviews highlight technical communication from the point of view of speakers who are enthusiastic about what they do and have made real changes in their organisations.
How AI is revolutionising technical writing
Senior Technical Writer Michael Shan discusses the integration of AI into technical writing. He highlights its potential benefits in efficiency while emphasising the irreplaceable role of human writers in tasks requiring empathy, creativity, and critical evaluation.
Embracing the future: how AI is revolutionising technical writing
Can you use AI and keep everyone’s trust?
This article from Medium suggests we think of generative AI as a brilliant but disorganised student - they'll help us a lot with our work, but we'll need to supervise them, and we definitely can't leave them to do it all on their own. It talks about user experience being based on trust, and how AI takes that trust away. While it specifically focuses on junior designers, we think there's a lot we can apply to other technical communications roles too.
How junior designers can use ChatGPT without risking everyone’s trust
How to use generative AI in your content process
Thinking about using AI in your content development? This article from Kontent looks at things you need to think about when deciding when and how to do it.
How generative AI fits into content development processes
Technology trends and predictions in technical writing
Senior Technical Writer Samir Senapati makes some predictions on upcoming technological advancements, and how they might shape the future of technical communication.
The future of technical writing: trends and predictions
Get plain language working in your organisation
Need some tips to start normalising plain language in your organisation? Try these ideas from Write Limited.
Five ways to make plain language work for your organisation
Plus, here are our ideas we shared as part of an article on the Plain Language Act 2022 in our last newsletter.
If your organisation reports to the Public Service Commission, find out who your plain language officers are and what they’re getting up to. You might be able to help!
If you don’t report to the Public Service Commission, you could still:
- advocate for plain language in your organisation
- champion its importance for your customers, clients, partners and people
- organise training
- publish your own commitment statement on your website and ask for feedback on any unclear content
- create a plain language community or network in your workplace
- enter the Plain Language Awards next year to celebrate your people’s great mahi!