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Technical Communicatoin - trends

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Denise Kadilak
Denise Kadilak

The document discusses trends in technical communication, including how the role of technical communicators has evolved from focusing on specific tools to branching out into areas like content management, curation, collaboration, and multimedia. It also summarizes key trends like increased use of mobile technologies, HTML5, cloud-based tools, analytics, and DITA. Technical communicators are adapting to working with more content at faster rates across different channels and focusing more on user experience.

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TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION AND NEW TRENDS Denise Kadilak Information Architect 12/07/12 Footer 1
AGENDA What is a Technical Writer/Communicator? How the profession has evolved Trends Questions? 12/07/12 Footer 2
WHAT IS A TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR? Short answer: a person who writes about technical topics Better answer: a person who can explain complicated concepts in clear, easy-to-understand prose Best answer: its complicated Alan S. Pringle and Sarah S. OKeefe Technical Writing 101 12/07/12 Footer 3
WHAT A TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR USED TO BE Microsoft Word expert - Have you ever tried to create a book in Word - It is not easy! - Heaven forbid you want an index or comprehensive table of contents 12/07/12 Footer 4
THEN WE EVOLVED Tools catering to our specific needs - FrameMaker expert (book) Chapters Index markers Conditions Templates - RoboHelp expert (html help) - Acrobat expert (pdf) 12/07/12 Footer 5
AND WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE Even more tools catering to our specific needs - FrameMaker Structured and unstructured options Basically still linier content - Flare Structured Topic-based - Some sort or CMS tool This mess needs to be managed somewhere - Captivate We do videos now! - InDesign Because the graphic designer in us wants pixel-perfect control - Dreamweaver Because now were part-time web designers 12/07/12 Footer 6
AND WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE To the point that figuring out exactly what we are is complicated. 12/07/12 Footer 7
SO LETS START BY LOOKING AT SKILLS SETS Technologically savvy Talented writer Well organized Charming Research oriented 12/07/12 Footer 8
2011 12/07/12 Footer 9
SKILLS SET Interesting observations: Note: There was no 2010 survey, so last survey means 2009 Expertise with authoring tools and writing procedures are neck-and- neck as most valued skills (tools expertise gained a point since the last survey) HTML skills still rule but did drop 10 rating points since last survey CSS skills also still rule with no drop since last survey DITA skills improved from 17% to 23% (kind of surprised by this one) PDFs will never die (two point increase in importance rating over last survey) Wikis gained five rating points over last survey Multimedia tutorials gained seven rating point over last survey Forums gained 10 ratings points over last survey 12/07/12 Footer 10
TOOLS SET A MUST Help Authoring tools File conversion tools - Convert word-processing files to other formats 12/07/12 Footer 11
TOOLS SET A MUST Graphics tool - Screen capturing - Drawing - Editing HTML editor 12/07/12 Footer 12
TOOLS SET NICE TO HAVE Project management tools (Microsoft Project) - Track schedules - Who is working on what Content or Source Management tools (Subversion) - Versioning - Manages several writers working on the same content - Track content history 12/07/12 Footer 13
WE ARE BRANCHING TO OTHER AREAS Articles to help users better understand complex conceptual information Blogs to share new features, cool tips, and other information end users may find helpful Discussion groups and forums Video both writing the scripts and recording Web design Marketing Overview (walkthroughs) 12/07/12 Footer 14
WE HAVE OUR EYES ON SOME INTERESTING TRENDS 12/07/12 Footer 15
TRENDS TO WATCH Content Management - Always important, now even more so - Topic-based authoring on the increase - Demand for content-specific help growing 12/07/12 Footer 16
TRENDS TO WATCH Content Curation - Create content streams focused on specific user needs: Administrators Researchers - Finding, collecting, presenting and displaying digital content around predefined sets of criteria and subject matter, - As the lines blur between traditional documentation, customer feedback and marketing and promotion, technical communicators have the opportunity to be active players in their employers content curation activities as part of overall communications strategy. 12/07/12 Footer 17
TRENDS TO WATCH Integrated technical communication (ITC) - Rather than focusing on the activities involved in the communication creation, ITC focuses on increasing the users understanding and experience. - Stresses integration rather than the processes, tools and functions themselves. 12/07/12 Footer 18
TRENDS TO WATCH Increased focus on collaboration - Marketing and customer support - Huge demand for content - New technologies - Accelerated product development lifecycles - Geographically dispersed development teams 12/07/12 Footer 19
TRENDS TO WATCH HTML 5 to take over the world (as soon as IE catches up) - Will be the new standard for HTML - Major benefits are improvements in the following areas: Drawing Animation Video Audio Search Offline application cache Want to learn more? 12/07/12 Footer 20
TRENDS TO WATCH Cloud-based tools - Author-it broke ground - But it does not look like Adobe will be very far behind - Remove dependence on in-house IT 12/07/12 Footer 21
TRENDS TO WATCH Help Authoring Tool Advances - Actual development on a cloud - Generating mobile output - Generating e-reader output 12/07/12 Footer 22
TRENDS TO WATCH Focus on mobile - Demand is high - Tools are starting to accommodate - We will have to change how we write - We will have to redesign tri-pane needs to go 12/07/12 Footer 23
TRENDS TO WATCH Customer push for more multimedia communication - Users never liked reading - An increasing preference for: Video Diagrams Walkthroughs 12/07/12 Footer 24
TRENDS TO WATCH Social Media - Increased role in direct customer contact/input - If you provide social facilities for customer feedback through official channels you increase the likelihood that customers will go to the official source for information 12/07/12 Footer 25
TRENDS TO WATCH Increased reliance on analytics - Page view stats - Traffic patterns - View frequency 12/07/12 Footer 26
TRENDS TO WATCH DITA - Darwin Information Typing Architecture - Emphasis on content re-use - Enforces consistency - DITA a component within a larger learning strategy Great reuse Does nothing to improve users learning - Not the solution for learning - It could be a solution for authoring efficiency - Implementation has slowed (complex) - But it is a standard and will be around for awhile 12/07/12 Footer 27

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Technical Communicatoin - trends

  • 1. TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION AND NEW TRENDS Denise Kadilak Information Architect 12/07/12 Footer 1
  • 2. AGENDA What is a Technical Writer/Communicator? How the profession has evolved Trends Questions? 12/07/12 Footer 2
  • 3. WHAT IS A TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR? Short answer: a person who writes about technical topics Better answer: a person who can explain complicated concepts in clear, easy-to-understand prose Best answer: its complicated Alan S. Pringle and Sarah S. OKeefe Technical Writing 101 12/07/12 Footer 3
  • 4. WHAT A TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR USED TO BE Microsoft Word expert - Have you ever tried to create a book in Word - It is not easy! - Heaven forbid you want an index or comprehensive table of contents 12/07/12 Footer 4
  • 5. THEN WE EVOLVED Tools catering to our specific needs - FrameMaker expert (book) Chapters Index markers Conditions Templates - RoboHelp expert (html help) - Acrobat expert (pdf) 12/07/12 Footer 5
  • 6. AND WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE Even more tools catering to our specific needs - FrameMaker Structured and unstructured options Basically still linier content - Flare Structured Topic-based - Some sort or CMS tool This mess needs to be managed somewhere - Captivate We do videos now! - InDesign Because the graphic designer in us wants pixel-perfect control - Dreamweaver Because now were part-time web designers 12/07/12 Footer 6
  • 7. AND WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE To the point that figuring out exactly what we are is complicated. 12/07/12 Footer 7
  • 8. SO LETS START BY LOOKING AT SKILLS SETS Technologically savvy Talented writer Well organized Charming Research oriented 12/07/12 Footer 8
  • 9. 2011 12/07/12 Footer 9
  • 10. SKILLS SET Interesting observations: Note: There was no 2010 survey, so last survey means 2009 Expertise with authoring tools and writing procedures are neck-and- neck as most valued skills (tools expertise gained a point since the last survey) HTML skills still rule but did drop 10 rating points since last survey CSS skills also still rule with no drop since last survey DITA skills improved from 17% to 23% (kind of surprised by this one) PDFs will never die (two point increase in importance rating over last survey) Wikis gained five rating points over last survey Multimedia tutorials gained seven rating point over last survey Forums gained 10 ratings points over last survey 12/07/12 Footer 10
  • 11. TOOLS SET A MUST Help Authoring tools File conversion tools - Convert word-processing files to other formats 12/07/12 Footer 11
  • 12. TOOLS SET A MUST Graphics tool - Screen capturing - Drawing - Editing HTML editor 12/07/12 Footer 12
  • 13. TOOLS SET NICE TO HAVE Project management tools (Microsoft Project) - Track schedules - Who is working on what Content or Source Management tools (Subversion) - Versioning - Manages several writers working on the same content - Track content history 12/07/12 Footer 13
  • 14. WE ARE BRANCHING TO OTHER AREAS Articles to help users better understand complex conceptual information Blogs to share new features, cool tips, and other information end users may find helpful Discussion groups and forums Video both writing the scripts and recording Web design Marketing Overview (walkthroughs) 12/07/12 Footer 14
  • 15. WE HAVE OUR EYES ON SOME INTERESTING TRENDS 12/07/12 Footer 15
  • 16. TRENDS TO WATCH Content Management - Always important, now even more so - Topic-based authoring on the increase - Demand for content-specific help growing 12/07/12 Footer 16
  • 17. TRENDS TO WATCH Content Curation - Create content streams focused on specific user needs: Administrators Researchers - Finding, collecting, presenting and displaying digital content around predefined sets of criteria and subject matter, - As the lines blur between traditional documentation, customer feedback and marketing and promotion, technical communicators have the opportunity to be active players in their employers content curation activities as part of overall communications strategy. 12/07/12 Footer 17
  • 18. TRENDS TO WATCH Integrated technical communication (ITC) - Rather than focusing on the activities involved in the communication creation, ITC focuses on increasing the users understanding and experience. - Stresses integration rather than the processes, tools and functions themselves. 12/07/12 Footer 18
  • 19. TRENDS TO WATCH Increased focus on collaboration - Marketing and customer support - Huge demand for content - New technologies - Accelerated product development lifecycles - Geographically dispersed development teams 12/07/12 Footer 19
  • 20. TRENDS TO WATCH HTML 5 to take over the world (as soon as IE catches up) - Will be the new standard for HTML - Major benefits are improvements in the following areas: Drawing Animation Video Audio Search Offline application cache Want to learn more? 12/07/12 Footer 20
  • 21. TRENDS TO WATCH Cloud-based tools - Author-it broke ground - But it does not look like Adobe will be very far behind - Remove dependence on in-house IT 12/07/12 Footer 21
  • 22. TRENDS TO WATCH Help Authoring Tool Advances - Actual development on a cloud - Generating mobile output - Generating e-reader output 12/07/12 Footer 22
  • 23. TRENDS TO WATCH Focus on mobile - Demand is high - Tools are starting to accommodate - We will have to change how we write - We will have to redesign tri-pane needs to go 12/07/12 Footer 23
  • 24. TRENDS TO WATCH Customer push for more multimedia communication - Users never liked reading - An increasing preference for: Video Diagrams Walkthroughs 12/07/12 Footer 24
  • 25. TRENDS TO WATCH Social Media - Increased role in direct customer contact/input - If you provide social facilities for customer feedback through official channels you increase the likelihood that customers will go to the official source for information 12/07/12 Footer 25
  • 26. TRENDS TO WATCH Increased reliance on analytics - Page view stats - Traffic patterns - View frequency 12/07/12 Footer 26
  • 27. TRENDS TO WATCH DITA - Darwin Information Typing Architecture - Emphasis on content re-use - Enforces consistency - DITA a component within a larger learning strategy Great reuse Does nothing to improve users learning - Not the solution for learning - It could be a solution for authoring efficiency - Implementation has slowed (complex) - But it is a standard and will be around for awhile 12/07/12 Footer 27