Style for Professional + technical communication

Course Description

Though technical writing is often highly precise and must be performed under certain constraints (manuals, guides, instructional materials, documentation, website buttons, and so on), there are ways to write with your own style that still allow the content to be accessible. Professional writing in wider contexts often has more room for style, but still must communicate a very specific message to a specific audience. On the web, style is especially relevant to effective communication and designing the user experience. What you say is, in part, how you say it. 

In this class you will learn how to use style while working within different professional limitations, and still communicate (more) effectively. Any piece of writing is a kind of persuasion, and style has a lot to do with that. Furthermore, in technical communication, we recognize that any one piece of writing may have multiple audiences: we might want to persuade an audience to keep reading something, while also persuading a supervisor that a completed assignment will satisfy customers or readers. 

This class will look at ways to integrate style that satisfy corporate aims but also customers, users, and readers. We will think about “style” not only as “stylized” but also as the way writing is designed. In this way, style can make or break the effectiveness of a training manual, or even a website itself. We will also consider the ways writing can be made accessible for a variety of audiences and user profiles. In short, we think about ways to apply principles of technical style, with style.

Objectives

You will learn about and discuss:

  • Examples of web copy that inspires and effectively reaches a particular audience.

  • What research, planning, and communication skills are vital in technical writing.

  • How to write instructions and technical directions and what their limits are.

Goals

You will practice techniques for:

  • Writing concisely for the audience you’re trying to reach.

  • Designing web copy.

  • Writing with your own style but also with attention to accessibility.

Major Units + Assignments

Punctuation & Mechanics | Elements of writing that can seem as small as punctuation or sentence design can actually change meaning in dramatic ways. Having an intimate knowledge or even just a general understanding and attention to how small changes in sentence structure can change the entire structure of a webpage, for instance, will have a big impact on the way you communicate. In this unit, we will look to punctuation, sentence structure, and various grammars that help design communication. We will also discuss and interrogate who or what deems something “effective,” and how we can push back.

  • Assignment 1: WikiSimple | In the first assignment we will write articles for Simple English Wikipedia. This variety of Wikipedia page requires a less complex vocabulary and shorter sentences. How can you do this with style? As the editors explain, “Writing in Simple English means that simple words are used. It does not mean readers want basic information. Articles do not have to be short to be simple; expand articles, add details, but use basic vocabulary.” You will write a new page that will take into account what you have learned about sentence design and punctuation.

 

Manuals & Instructionals | In this unit, we will pay specific attention to instructions. How do you include style in things as seemingly dry as instructions? How do you format and organize a table of contents so that it accurately reflects content without being overwhelming?

  • Assignment 2: Board Game Instructions | In this assignment you will read, evaluate, and re-write instructions for a board game. There are very complex games out there, that are hard to understand. You will be assigned a game and will work in teams to evaluate the game’s instructions, and rewrite those instructions more clearly. We will all trade instructions, and groups will evaluate each other based on how accessible the information is.  

  

Visual Style | The web is a visual medium, and websites, instructions, buttons, and more must often be optimized for digital viewing. In this unit, we will consider visual styles of all kinds, and how writing can be designed specifically for digital content.

  • Assignment 3: Infographic | You have been hired by [X company] and have to rewrite the instructions for the product X company is known for. The company wants an infographic that includes professional grade instructions and can be digested both on the web and in print. You will be able to choose from a variety of power tools. For instance, you might need to rewrite a setup guide for a Hitachi nail gun that has to represent standard Hitachi brand identity while also providing effective instructions. These digital instructions must also be accessible for more than just a traditional audience.

 

Editing | This unit will focus on techniques for editing technical documents, including proofreading, copyediting, and editing for audience, organization, and design.

  • Assignment 4: Portfolio | Students will compile their work over the semester into a portfolio and edit the document so that it fits a particular (assigned) audience. In consultation with the instructor you will choose: a tech company, a law firm, or a consumer goods corporation. You will provide a table of contents for this portfolio, and design an overall structure which should be visually engaging and dynamic. You will also write an introduction to the portfolio that ties it together and contextualizes it for the designated audience.

 

 


 

 
 
 

Readings

Fenton, Nicole, and Kate Kiefer Lee. Nicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and Purpose.

Lukeman, Noah. A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation.

Podmajersky, Torrey. Strategic Writing for UX.

Evans, Benjamin. The Power of Inclusive Design.” Design Better https://www.designbetter.co/podcast/benjamin-evans.