What is Technical Communication?

According to STC Executive Director Susan Burton, technical writing includes just writing and layout and assumes your only way to communicate is in written word (Burton, 2007). The STC office’s job description for technical communicators goes on to include multimedia knowledge, strong communication skills with technical expertise, and the use of visual and/or audio capabilities to educate users.

My own personal definitions of technical communications and technical writing are:

• Technical communications - The translation of specialized information for specific audiences sharing though various mediums to help the target audience better understand a process or subject in a way that will be understandable, useful and engaging. 
• Technical writing - writing that is straight forward and process oriented containing no personal thoughts or feelings. 

Technical writing is limited to words providing instruction or describing a process while technical communications is broader including writing, multimedia, editing, design, and takes the end user into account. Technical communication can also involve research, the promotion of ideas/solutions and involvement of others in order to help them understand information and gain access to the necessary tools they need to execute a job, a function, a process or solve an issue.

On a day to day basis most people engage in technical communication without being aware that they are. As communication users we commonly research and look up information seeking guides and directions at both our homes and workplace.

References

Lannon, J. M. (2008). Technical Communication (11th Ed.) Ashford Custom. New York: Pearson Longman.

Society for Technical Communications. What’s the difference between technical communicator and technical writer. Retrieved from http://www.stc.org/story/tc_tw.asp

Society for Technical Communications. You May Already Be a Technical Communicator. Retrieved from http://archive.stc.org/PDF_Files/myjob/susanBurton01.pdf