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The Future of Technical Writing


Searching for jobs today can be difficult, especially with the ongoing pandemic. The future of technical writing is arguably changing, as we have discussed throughout class, and as soon-to-be graduates, it is important for us to remain diligent when assessing the future of technical writing positions. Here, I have researched more into the future of technical writing regarding AI, usability, and social media.

One debate regarding the future of technical writing is whether or not traditional technical writers will be replaced by automated writing software. According to an article from Zoomin, automated writing programs are unable to entirely replace technical writers due to the nature of human communication; technical writers are necessary for analyzing the audience and tailoring content to that audience. Since automated writing is not able to replace writers yet, the article suggests that technical writers can use automation to help increase the value of their work. Bringing in automation and other forms of technology can help technical writers maintain updated information, index content, collaborate with other technical writers and subject matter experts, and use technology for feedback and analytics (Zoomin). Until automated writing is better at imitating human communication, technical writers will continue to have traditional employment opportunities.

One possible future I have observed through the Professional Writing program is usability and user experience. In previous classes, I have had the opportunity to study usability and usability testing. These courses allowed me to learn more about usability and accessibility and apply what I have learned to my own documents. Usability is a very broad topic because almost everything could benefit from usability testing. Usability is everywhere – our cars, homes, airports, websites, etc. Everyone has witnessed examples of design layouts where usability fails. For example, in my apartment at Purdue, my bedroom door opens in a way that it completely blocks the door to a small linen closet. By blocking that door, it also means my bedroom door won’t open if the linen closet door is open. If the bedroom door is open, it creates a very tight space between the two doors, making it difficult to access that area. While this is a minor inconvenience, it is an example of a design that isn’t very effective.

Another avenue for technical writing that I see being relevant in the future is social media or content creation. Many companies put a lot of resources into creating a brand and promoting that brand. With the rise of social media, more companies are joining social media as a way to advertise to a mass audience. Companies can use technical writers to help with visual design and usability. Technical writers can help companies break away from templates and explore more effective design options. While the future of technical writing isn’t known for sure, I believe that these are viable options for graduates to explore.

Zoomin article: https://www.zoominsoftware.com/blog/how-product-documentation-imthe-future-of-product-documentation-are-robots-replacing-technical-writersproves-decision-making-2/

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