Chapters 10 and 11

Chapter 10 discusses how technical communication projects have begun incorporating users in the development process.  As opposed to a strict “audience analysis,” users in many new successful ventures are actually part of the process themselves.  The chapter also cautions against including users in the design process simply as a “means to an end,” suggesting instead that users be asked to “genuinely contribute to the conversation” (247).   To address the issue of organizational constraints or budgetary issues, companies might set a specific point of contact within a company, set up in-house stimulations of the user environment (as opposed to traveling to user locations), and examining the cultural context of users.  From reading the chapter and understanding some cultural perspective of user inclusion in projects, it seems reasonable that user-centered projects will become increasingly common in the future.

Chapter 11 considers how technical communicators can study work contexts, when “context” is defined as “the set of observable differences in actors’ material relationships within two or more instances of the same activity. A practitioner of technical communication needs to be aware of the work context to adequately serve the needs of the organization.  The definition of “context” in this chapter is defined and sub-defined to provide the basis of the chapter.  The chapter makes sense from its definition of “context,” but the narrowness of the definition seemed a bit foreign to me.  When I normally think of context, I think of the social and cultural norms present in an organization, not necessarily dealing with “material relationships.”  From this standpoint, it seems like another word could have been a better substitute for “context,” but it made sense from the careful way it was defined in the chapter.

Blog Post for Chapters 6 and 8

Chapter 6 discusses “work tools” in the context of technical communication.  By using tools such as text and HTML editors, CSS (cascading style sheet) templates, and other forms of technology, technical communicators are better able to serve the needs of their audience or company.  The chapter discusses “activity theory” as one means of understanding how work tools can play a role in a group or organization, taking into account cultural and social context.  The chapter also highlighted that technology can also be a crutch in certain situations, and the specific example given was a medical practice that encountered unexpected issues when it transferred to electronic record keeping.

Chapter 8 makes some predictions about the future of technical communication.  Practitioners within the field, the author posits, will be faced with a variety of issues that include “audiences with limited attention,” “doing several things at once,” and dealing with “too much incoming information across too many media devices.”  Further, in contrast to traditional technical writing, new forms of technical communication will involve working in groups and writing about advanced software that the writer will likely not fully understand.  Further, the field has increasingly become “wicked” as opposed to “tame.”  In this use, the author considers a “wicked” problem to be one without a clearly defined problem or solution and a “tame” problem as a fairly understandable issue with predictable results (like a game of chess).  I agree with the author’s predictions, particularly as they relate to an increase in technological specialization, and I am excited for the future of the profession.  

Chapters 5 and 7

Chapter 5 discusses rhetorical theory within the field of Technical Communication.  One personal takeaway from the chapter were the different means of defining “theory.”  Within academia, “theories” are almost revered because of the extensive research and testing that goes into establishing them.  In lay terms, however, a “theory” could mean just about anything, especially a conjecture without much substantiation.  Another method, supported by Jonathan Culler, holds that theories are 1) interdisciplinary, analytical and speculative, critiques of commons sense, and reflexive (129).  For example, the book highlights a theory of “cultural usability” as a means of understanding how different groups can best be communicated with and understood.  Without a form of cultural understanding, technical communicators might risk slipping into a more robotic or systems-based approach that would neglect the human aspects of the group or organization.

Chapter 7 discusses how the connection between history and organizational culture can be helpful to technical communicators attempting to tailor their work to their audience.  By understanding organizational culture, writers are better able to address the needs of their organization, and historical organizational culture can give clues as to what would be well-received by the organization and in what manner. The author offers a heuristic for using history within technical communication: 1) Know what systems of order the workplace creates, 2) Know how the history and culture of the workplace influences the ordering process, and 3) Know how decisions in the workplace shape and order the actions of others. (175-176). Through understanding history within an organization, technical communicators can understand how its culture came to exist at present, and can give clues as to how it might change in the future. 

Chapter 2 and JWT Study for Ford

Chapter 2 focuses on the day-to-day work patterns that a technical communicator might experience.  A key takeaway from the chapter was that technical communicators do far more than just write; in fact, they often integrate themselves deep within the company’s framework to understand the company’s culture and how employees like to receive information.  I found it interesting how the book distilled typical work flows into three general patterns: seeing technical communicators as “Information Designers,” “User Advocates,” and “Stewards of Writing Activity Within Organizations.”  I agree with the assessment the author makes, particularly with regard to “Information Designers” and “User Advocates.”  As business continues into the 21^st Century, it seems increasingly important that technical communicators be able to think outside the normal confines of “manual writing” and other tasks commonly associated with technical writing.  Placing focus on the end-user of the information (audience) is also vital; if technical communicators understand their audience, they will be able to transmit the information in an understandable and more impactful way.

The second reading for this week, entitled “Ethnographic Interviews Guide Design

of Ford Vehicles Website,” discussed how the digital design agency for Ford Motor Company, J. Walter Thompson (JWT), performed an ethnographic study to improve Ford’s website. I found it interesting how the team did field interviews in prospective car buyers’ homes.  Further, the interview sample was divided 50% into California car buyers and 50% into New York car buyers.  JWT was particularly focused on the process through which new car buyers search for vehicles.  From the study, JWT improved usability on the site and made it easier to print black-and-white handouts of vehicles so that buyers could discuss them with family or salespeople at car dealerships.