What is Technical Writing?

Technical Writing is everywhere around us, so much so that it doesn’t even get noticed. You get exposed to technical writing in everyday life when you try to operate your new washing machine, camera, microwave (or any other product) using the user’s manual. Do you know that the user manual has been written by a technical writer? Yes…it is the technical writer who has done this marvelous job of explaining all the steps required for operating the device in a logical procedure. The piece of technical writing also explains the parts of the product considering your level of understanding and your requirement of knowledge of the technicalities involved in the device.

So, we see that technical writing is a unique and diverse field of communication written for business, industry and customers. Technical Writing is writing on a particular subject for a defined purpose and is adapted to a specific audience which may range from experts to a layperson. It is a structured way of writing that presents technical information to readers (the audience) in such a way that it is adapted to their needs and understanding level. You write about a technical subject in such a manner that even a beginner can understand. The main purpose of technical writing is to communicate technical information, e.g. user manuals, online helps, training materials etc to the user. The technical content may be printed or electronic documentation.

In today’s customer-centric business model, an organization’s technical writing activities serve as a reflection of its customer-oriented attitude. For example, the main purpose of writing the user manuals of a company’s products or services, for instance application software, is to provide easy reference to readers for efficient usage of the software. In addition, the writing explains the functioning of each screen of the application along with its navigation to other screens. The reader’s purpose of reading the communication is to get an insight into the functionalities covered by the application software so that they can use the application efficiently and independently.

In addition to the above example of a user manual there is a vast array of different forms and types of technical writing existing in the work place. This includes memos, letters, proposals, reports, brochures, software requirement specifications, websites, online helps, technical descriptions and the list is endless. In each case, the common goal, which is achieved by technical writing, is to create clear, crisp and easily understandable written communication.