Write the Things

How technical writers fill a unique capability gap in the world of technology

Ask anyone who works in tech, and they can tell you about the main purpose of most key roles in the industry. Product managers? Why, they learn about user needs and ideate solutions to solve customer problems. What about software engineers? They develop and build in new and innovative ways to create the solutions that the product managers dream up!

But…what about the lesser-known technical writer? Alas, I have encountered quite a knowledge gap in the technology industry regarding what a technical writer is and the purpose that we serve. Dear reader, allow me to share my perspective on why technical writers are such invaluable assets to developers, product managers, and end users alike.

Technical Writer HQ defines technical writers as people who create “company documents such as instruction manuals, intermediate to end-user manuals, reference guides, operating procedure guides, white papers, and specialized product descriptions.” I often jokingly refer to myself as a tech translator. Ultimately, the goal of these writers is to spend countless hours reading and speaking with subject matter experts (or SMEs, as we call them), absorbing as much information about a product or process as possible. Then, putting ourselves in the end user’s mindset, we painstakingly craft clear and concise documentation that explains why the product or process is important and how to use it effectively.

Documentation can manifest in a multitude of formats, such as internal company documents and procedural guides, or as published help pages on a product’s website. Whether crafting responses for a frequently-asked questions page or documenting instructional, step-by-step user interface (UI) processes, technical writers fill the knowledge gap that exists between those who design and create products or processes and those who use them.

…technical writers fill the knowledge gap that exists between those who design and create products or processes and those who use them.

“What a vital role!” You may find yourself thinking. If so, you would be correct. Why, then, do so few people within the tech industry understand what tech writers do? Why aren’t there more of us? Often, developers and product managers are asked to create their own documentation alongside their regular workload. This can result in fragmented documentation hosted across a number of platforms and in various formats, with knowledge gaps that the writers assume the readers already know. That, or devs and product managers are so loaded down with their day-to-day work that documentation falls to the wayside.

This is why technical writers are of such key importance in the tech world. We focus on user-centered documentation. We put ourselves in the position of the audience to understand what readers want to know and why they want to know it. We consider the best way to present information so that it is easy to digest. Go-to questions include, ‘should this be a video, a screenshot, or an in-depth document with numbered steps? How should we structure the information architecture of the website or document to guide users through the process in a logical or chronological way? Does the reader need a 10-page explainer on how the product was created, or do they simply want to know which buttons to click to complete a task?’

When considering a tech team, or pod as they are called in the agile development world, what typically comes to mind is a group of developers, a product manager, a technical project manager or agile delivery lead, and perhaps a few designers for any user interfaces. Omit technical writers, however, and you end up with fantastic, thoughtfully-designed products with no tangible way for targeted users to understand the purpose of the product or how to use it. Technical writers provide the service of creating thorough documentation that supports both the creators and users of a given product.

If you’re still at a loss as to why technical writers are vital to tech, think of it this way. As a tech company, you invest millions into solving your customers’ or employees’ problems. You don’t hire any technical writers, and instead rely on engineers and product owners to educate users. Suddenly, you find yourself with a bunch of products with little or no documented processes, meetings upon meetings to walk users through the product while explaining its value, and redundancy across the enterprise. Redundancy of manual efforts and of siloed teams working on the same types of products without realizing a solution already exists. I.e., a huge waste of money.

Technical writers reduce or even eliminate redundancies, translate technology in an easily accessible manner, and lighten the load for engineers and product managers. We learn quickly and deliver documentation adeptly to get products or processes in users’ hands. Tech writers play a pivotal part in the product delivery pipeline, and it’s time we see our numbers rise!