It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. As technology simplifies products and attention spans shorten, this is truer than ever before.
And yet, some products and services are too complex to be explained with a simple graphic. Illustrations are not always intuitive or can be interpreted in more than one way. Some consumers, depending on generation and education, prefer words. They relate and respond to—in fact, sometimes require—information that goes beyond drawings. Some need both graphics and words that work together to provide useful context and tell the whole story. Anyone who’s struggled to assemble furniture or install a dishwasher simply because instructions were poor knows this all too well.
How can brands leverage the power of visuals yet effectively communicate critical information that is clear, concise, and user-friendly?
They can start by using professional technical writing services.
What is a technical writer? Professional techwriters are a rare breed. They are user advocates, researchers, and testers in ways that many others aren’t. They make an effort to understand consumer needs, preferences, and behaviors. They talk about products and services in terms that the target audience understands. They translate the technical language of engineers, SMEs (subject matter experts), and manufacturers into something comprehensible. They deliberately avoid geekspeak and techtalk that the average user might find confusing to improve overall customer experience with a product. Clear, comprehensive documentation can also reduce expensive tech support and, worse, product returns.
Techwriters are, by nature, curious. They possess a technical aptitude that enables them to grasp products they have never used themselves. They can chunk a long and complicated procedure into bite-sized and easy-to-understand steps. They help set proper expectations so end users understand both what a new product can do and, perhaps more importantly, what it cannot do.
Seasoned professional technical writers empathize with users.
They work to help end users get the most out of a product. That insight enables them to identify procedures that might create confusion or could cause damage, personal injury, or death, if not performed properly. That capacity, combined with input from UX experts, helps drive a content architecture plan that organizes information with care and precision to improve ease of use and provide quick access to desired material. While writing product documentation, they think about how users might interact with a product, and actively work to facilitate a positive customer experience throughout their journey with that product.
Their primary goal is enhancing user experience to create loyal customers.
Technical writers follow rigorous guidelines and standards not always required of other types of writers, such as fiction authors or journalists. They often work with compliance or legal teams to help ensure product documentation complies with safety and regulatory requirements. Done properly, product manuals can provide the information consumers need to use a product safely.
In a collaborative environment, many work with graphic designers to create graphics that support text, with usability professionals to create a user-friendly document, and with editors to refine language that makes sense to and resonates with end users. A lone individual or someone whose specialty is not writing cannot bring the insight and expertise that a team can.
Professional editors complement technical writers.
Like the writers they support, professional editors possess a technical aptitude that enables them to jump in and understand complicated concepts. They are able to recognize potential problems but aren’t in the thick of development so able to provide an objective look at content, flow, and terminology.
That fresh look empowers them to ask questions that the production team may not have considered while in the thick of development. It enables them to provide alternative suggestions for improved usability, where appropriate. They help ensure consistency, precision, clarity, and an overall approach that’s designed with end users in mind. They may, for example, catch that the product name in a user guide is different than what’s on packaging or a companion setup guide. They might notice that an LED is labeled “red” in text, but “amber” in graphics.
Simplicity is critical to effective technical documentation. As user advocates, professional editors know and drive this in every document they review. Experienced editors never use two words when one will do. They stay on top of current language and terminology trends. They work to help the writer communicate technical details clearly, concisely, and without jargon. This is why they’ll suggest “symbol” rather than “glyph” and “disk” rather than “hard disk drive system.” It’s why they avoid passive voice that tends to be longer than active voice.
Professionally trained editors consider brand and style guidelines as well. Doing so helps ensure consistency across communications pieces, projects professionalism that conveys reliability and, reflects on the brand itself.
Professional techwriters and editors add value through clear, concise, and user-friendly communications that reduce tech support calls and product returns while strengthening brand image and building consumer trust.
Their efforts, combined with that of UX experts and graphic designers, help drive positive reviews and high ratings that inform purchase decisions, influence others, enhance customer experience and, ultimately, impact brand perception.
A picture might be worth a thousand words but words do matter and effective product documentation starts with solid language and user-centered communication skills. That is what professional technical writers and editors bring to the table and, in the end, contribute to a memorable customer experience.
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