1.3 Who Is Getting Technical Communication Right?
Organizations and personalities that understand the essential role technical communicators play can be an inspirational voice advocating for the growing field of technical communication. Technical writers are especially integral to organizations that focus on information technology, software engineering, science, and mathematics (STEAM fields), and even product design for things like outdoor equipment.
Technical communicators often have positions within an organization where they must collaborate with content marketing teams and PR firms, and in smaller organizations these roles may overlap a great deal. Knowing best practices as a technical communicator and understanding the essential part you play within an organization can help you better focus on the writing and communication styles of each role you fill.
Technical communicators represent the interface between people (or the audience), information, and technology. A similar concept, according to Carla Johnson, a widely known author and expert communicator who began her career as a technical writer, suggests technical communicators are the “linchpin” of any organization.1
Stephen Hawking: An Astrophysicist and Formidable Technical Communicator
Photo from elhombredenegro, March 2, 2012, Flickr, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Nobel Prize winner and astrophysicist Stephen Hawking wrote in a readerly style, communicating science, physics, and philosophy in his book A Brief History of Time. Hawking went on to publish and receive wide acclaim for his work, even after his detractors protested that he would not be able to appeal to a public audience. His critics were very wrong. At the time of this writing, A Brief History of Time has sold over 10 million copies.2
That wasn’t the first time Stephen Hawking overcame science and technical communication quandaries. As a 21-year-old, Hawking was diagnosed with a degenerative motor neuron disease that eventually caused paralysis and left him unable to speak.
One of the greatest scientific minds had to overcome his inability to communicate some of the most complicated theories in astrophysics, cosmology, and gravitation—and used teams of technical communicators to do so. Unable to speak, he hired a team of UI (user interface) designers and technical writers to design a software program that helped him communicate his findings and complex ideas, allowing him to share his philosophies and brilliant mind with the world.3
“The fundamental purpose of scientific discourse is not the mere presentation of information and thought but rather its actual communication. It does not matter how pleased an author might be to have converted all the right data into sentences and paragraphs; it matters only whether a large majority of the reading audience accurately perceives what the author had in mind.”4
—George Gopen and Judith Swan
“The Science of Scientific Writing”
Elon Musk and Tesla: Taking Technical Communication into 2020 and Beyond
As a scientist and engineer, Elon Musk was awarded the prestigious Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in 2019, even though detractors have argued he was never actually good at communicating science.
Photo from Duncan.Hull, July 13, 2018, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, is an entrepreneur, visionary, and engineer. Musk utilizes an unconventional communication style within his organization and as a public figure, which, regardless of what critics might say, has ironically worked to his advantage.
At the time of this writing, as an organization, Tesla has achieved a great deal as a leading manufacturer of electric automotive vehicles.5 As a brand, Tesla paradoxically underutilizes conventional advertising. The organization instead relies on customer satisfaction reviews, its website, Google Ads, and social media to disperse information.
As a car manufacturing firm, however, Tesla relies on its technical writers to communicate a massive body of information, to act as subject matter experts in science, engineering, and design, and to utilize a number of strategies to complete different processes and procedures throughout the organization. Tesla is one example of an organization that depends on its technical communicators to streamline the organization’s communication processes. Without effective technical communication, tech and engineering firms like Tesla could never hope to become successful in their mission.
Neil Patel: Entrepreneur, Search Engine Optimization Expert, and Technical Communicator
Photo from SarahLeung1, January 30, 2012, Flickr, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Although primarily known for his marketing skills, public figure, entrepreneur, author, and technical communication expert Neil Patel has been influencing the field for over a decade. He educates writers and communicators of all stripes about how to be successful at using digital technology and software to better communicate an organization’s overall message. Technical writers need to understand how to interface with an organization’s computer and data scientists, analyze the data, and pivot their message accordingly.
The movements in technical communication will continue to change and evolve as the World Wide Web grows more vast and technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) impact the field. Effective technical communicators, especially those with subject matter expertise, will likely grow in synchrony with AI and other innovations during this expansion.