#What Is Technical Writing

Is your aim to understand what technical writing is and know how best to make good use of technical writing? Technical writing has over time been a not-so talked about skill in the professional workplace. With the advent of various career paths in Tech, it is perceived that they would be a faster growth and more appreciation towards technical writing. In this article, I would cover the board definitions of technical writing. I would also discuss about the different roles having an understand of technical writing plays in various tech career paths and how to improve your skills when writing complex documents.

##Definition of Technical Writing.

Technical writing is the practice of documenting processes, such as software manuals or instructional materials. Traditionally, it was limited to user manuals of some sort. Technical writing has evolved past this stage and definition. New definition of technical writing Today, technical writing covers all documentation of complex technical processes. It includes reports, executive summary statements, and briefs. So it is safe to say that any technical information conveyed by writing is technical writing. The format is no longer bound to lengthy user manuals. Technical information must be distilled and presented unambiguously. This can come in the form of technical reports, emails, policy, briefs, and press releases. In summary, if you work in a technical field you are likely performing technical writing. This been said, I would be discussing about the involvement of technical writing in various career paths in tech.

##Importance Of Technical Writing in various Tech Career Path

1. Data Science and Analysis are important areas in technology that will likely require more technical writers in the future. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language are still new subfields. As they continue to shape technology in new ways, more technical writers will be needed to document these areas. Harry Magnan a Data Scientist during the ‘Fireside Chat’ says many companies require technical writers because they need someone who can translate ideas to the end-user. Skilled writers can execute materials that adhere to a certain style or terminology. They can also help bridge the gap between engineers and users by breaking down challenging concepts and explaining procedures.
2. Technical writing in software engineering is the umbrella term that encompasses all written documents and materials dealing with software product development. All software development products, whether created by a small team or a large corporation, require some related documentation. And different types of documents are created through the whole. Documentation exists to explain product functionality, unify project-related information, and allow for discussing all significant questions arising between stakeholders and developers.
3. Document design is a fundamental part of the job. Graphic elements like video, images, charts, and tables are common to visualize tech writing. It is usually also the tech writer’s job to format the documents so that they are easy to navigate, using headings, subheadings, bullet points, color, bold etc., in a sensible way. In summary there’s no doubt that UX writing, content design and conversation design are possible alternative career paths for techical writers.

Reference Harry Magnan "Fireside Chat" Technical Writing For Data Science %woz-u.com/blog/technical-writing-for-data-s..