Let's Tech Communicate

March

Luke Pivac shares the latest trends in technical communication from around the world.

In this issue we explore how content will reach users in the future, find some interesting tools and techniques to combat writer’s block, take a look at the case for Minimum Viable Documentation, and get some practical advice for dealing with difficult documentation projects. This and a whole lot more from around the Net!

Out of this world

First up, in their article Content delivery portals – the future of modular design, physicists Professor Dr Heiko Beier and Professor Dr Wolfgang Ziegler discuss how content will reach users in the future. They investigate how we can better consider the interests of specific target groups, and suggest that special portals with intelligent search options are the way forward.

Professor Dr Markus Nickl discusses how writer’s block can be challenging, even for technical communicators, in Bye-bye writer’s block. Nickl believes that it can be much easier if we know the target audience and have the topics well defined.

Finally in this section, Neil Kaplan looks at technical communication in an Agile environment in his article The case for Minimum Viable Documentation.

Tips and tricks

Connie Giordanno discusses The Role of Storytelling in Tech Comm and Business Content and gives you the chance to have your say in her poll at the end.

Meanwhile, Larry Kunz observes that the science of content strategy is maturingand presents examples of different maturity models from around the web.

The newbie tech communicator's toolbox

First, we look at some practical advice from Tom Johnston on tackling documentation projects. Johnston discusses how creating documents from scratch is the most enjoyable and rewarding part of being a technical communicator. He guides us through the process – from the blank page to completion – and gives a nice primer on laundry sorting at the same time!

In Mark Baker's article You can’t size topics for specific information needs, he explains how the biggest trap in topic-based writing is to ignore the fact that users come to help with a variety of needs. Often, the user poses the wrong question on their way to the right answer. "Every reader’s path through content is formed by a unique combination of what they don’t know, what they are trying to do, and what they didn’t understand the first time they read it."

Bit of fun

Last but not least, which punctuation mark are you? – and can you predict the punctuation marks of your colleagues?

Look out for more fun, tips and tricks in the world of technical communication in next month’s edition. See you then!

Luke Pivac, TechCommNZ Committee member