Technical Writing
As technology becomes increasingly complex, the need to communicate technical issues and instructions clearly and concisely becomes increasingly important.
This course builds the skills necessary to help technical writers create documentation and procedures that are unambiguous. This means fewer user errors and less need for support—using everyone’s time more productively.
Participants also learn how to write useful technical specifications for their colleagues, and persuasive recommendations to management.
Who Should Attend
Anyone who needs to write complex documents that are clear, readable and persuasive. It’s ideal for anyone who writes technical documentation, procedures, and recommendations.
Participants learn how to
- Write clear purpose statements to focus themselves and their readers
- Save time by planning textual and visual elements of technical reports
- Create clear, to-the-point openings
- Use different kinds of visuals in meaningful ways
- Write informative headings and structure them hierarchically
- Layout documents for readability and clarity
- Prefer the active voice for clearer, more readable text
- Write unambiguous instructions
- Structure different types of technical reports including procedures, documentation, business requirements and recommendations
Our Approach
We recognize that participants learn by doing, and they do a lot in this course. There is plenty of small- and large-group discussion, and very little lecturing. Participants will have opportunities to revise several documents we provide; wherever possible, they self- and peer-edit their own documents.
Course Length and Size
This is a two-day course. We recommend classes of about twelve people. This encourages healthy group interaction and allows for individual coaching when necessary.