Even in industries where the final product or service is not very technical in nature, technical communications activities make up a surprisingly large portion of the effort required to design, produce, sell and support products. The Arnold Collective, Inc. uses various forms of media to deliver technical communications including websites, books, brochures and other printed materials, social media, meetings and live presentations, e-books, video, and audio.
Because technical communications activities are key throughout many strategic and operational areas of an organization, planning and executing an integrated technical communications our (ITC) strategy becomes increasingly important. ITC is the coordination and integration of all technical communication processes, tools, functions, and sources within an organization to convey information and knowledge relevant to optimizing the users’ product experience.
- Analysis
- Research
- Design & Creation
- Production & Dissemination
- Archival & Disposition
- Feedback
Each of these six processes can occur multiple times throughout the organization’s production cycle, technical communications processes are not solely sequential in nature. For example, in a software company, feedback can occur at multiple points, during design or testing, and after the sale of the software to a customer. The goal of the feedback is to produce a better product experience, so the activities that comprise feedback processes fall within the realm of technical communications, even if those performing the activities work in programming, QA, or the help desk.
Technical writing comprises the largest segment of technical communications. Our team at The Arnold Collective, Inc. works in conjunction with editors, graphic designers and illustrators, document specialists, content managers, instructional designers, trainers, and analysts to produce a wide range of information products for use by internal or external audiences, including:
- Contracts Online and embedded help Requirements specifications
- Customer Service scripts Policy documents Simulations
- Demonstrations Process flows Training courses
- Design documents Project documents User manuals
- FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Instructions Proposals Websites
- Knowledge based articles, release notes, white papers
- How-to videos, product packaging, web-based training