Technical Communication Principles

Principles? There are principles that apply to technical communication? I mean, exclusive of the on-going requirement to push content out to its audience as quickly and cheaply as possible. The answer is: Yes; of course! So, let’s look at some of these principles—standards James River Technical Communications applies to each communication project and product.

The most important question I ask a client is: “Who will read this?” Some who study the subject of “readability” interpret it to address the average reading level writers must target. For example, some readability experts hold that content for a military audience should be written at no more than a sixth-grade level of reading comprehension. I certainly look to identify the education level expected for a given potential audience. Readability is far more nuanced, however. Consider these potential audiences:

• Those who purchase tools or toys want brief, clear instructions that explain how to assemble their purchase
• Purchasers of software and hardware want brief, clear instructions that explain how to use their purchase
• Factory employees want brief, clear instructions that explain how to efficiently and safely use the equipment necessary to do their jobs
• Software programmers want brief, clear instructions that explain the system development environment so that they can write code that meets their requirements
• Managers want brief, clear content that quickly and efficiently describes the issue presented