Characteristics of Technical
Communication
Technical Communication
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Addresses Particular Readers
Helps Readers Solve Problems
Reflects an Organizations Goals and Culture
Is Produced Collaboratively
Uses Design to Increase Readability
Consists of Words, Graphics or Both
Is Produced Using High-Tech Tools
Addresses Particular Readers

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Establish a profile of
your audience
Structure the document
to make it easy for this
particular group to locate
and understand the
information they seek.
Helps Readers Solve Problems
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Technical Communication is used for people to
analyze a situation and solve a problem.
Example: You read a college catalog to find out
the procedures for registration, what is covered
in a particular course and requirements for a
major.
Reflects an Organizations Goals
and Culture
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Prince Andrew produces newsletters,
newspapers, classroom rules and regulations,
school website, parentwise etc. to reflect the
goals and culture of the school and the students
who attend here.
Produced Collaboratively
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People work as a team to produce complicated
documents.
Collaboration can take many forms from having
a colleague review your two page memo to
working with a team of a dozen technical
professionals on a 200 page catalog.
Uses Design to Increase
Readability

Technical Communicators use design features to
make their documents more effective.
Typography
 Spacing
 Color
 Special Paper
 Etc.
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Design Features Have Three
Basic Purposes
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To make the document look attractive and
professional
To help the reader navigate the document
To help the reader understand the document.
Consists of Words or Graphics or Both
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In technical communication, graphic help the writer
perform five main functions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Make the document more interesting and appealing to
readers
Communicate and reinforce difficult concepts
Communicate instructions and descriptions of objects and
processes
Communicate large amounts of quantifiable data
Communicate with nonnative speakers of English
Is Produced Using High-Tec Tools
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Every phase of the production of technical
documents involves high-tech tools such as the
personal computer.
Technical communicators also rely on software
such as:
Word Processing Software
 Graphics Software
 Desktop Publishing Software
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Growth of Technology
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Technology has transformed both the processes we use
to produce technical communication and the way we
publish it.
Growth of the web, CD-ROMs and DVD’s with their
massive storage capabilities have made it practical to
deliver large quantities of information – including text,
sound, video and animation inexpensively.