Technical Final Review
Technical Final Review
Technical Com.
Ch 1 Introduction to Technical communication.
Types of Writing
1. Non-technical writing
2. Technical writing : Exchange of information that helps people interact
with technology and solve complex problems.
- Instructions
- User Manual
- Report
- Memo
- Procedures
- Research ( academic not technical )
1. Reader-centered
2. Accessible and e cient: Easy to understand and navigate
- Worthwhile content
- Readable style
- E ective visuals
- E ective page design
- Supplements
3. Often Produced by teams
4. Delivered in paper and digital ver.
1. Information Delivery.
2. Persuasive Reasoning.
3. Ethical Presentation.
4. Good Teamwork.
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Ch 12 Designing Visual Information
Importance of visuals
Types of visuals
- Is it an expert audience?
- A general audience?
- A global audience?
- Sophisticated visuals
Tables
Graphs
- They display, at a glance, the approximate values, the point being made
about those values, and the relationship being emphasized.
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1. Bar graphs show discrete comparisons, such as year-by-year or month-
by-month.
Line graphs
- deviation line graph extends the vertical scale below the zero
baseline to display positive and negative values in one graph.
Charts
4. Tree charts show how the parts of an idea or concept are related.
5. Gantt charts depict how the parts of an idea or concept relate. A series
of bars or lines (time lines) indicates start-up and completion dates for
each phase or task in a project. Useful for planning and tracking a
project.
6. PERT charts use shapes and arrows to outline a project’s main
activities and events.
Pie Charts
- Make sure the parts of the pie add up to 100 percent.
- Di erentiate and label each slice clearly.
- Keep all labels horizontal.
- Combine very small pie slices.
Organization Charts
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- Move from top to bottom or left to right.
- Use downward- or rightward-pointing arrows.
- Keep boxes uniform and text brief.
Pictograms
- Follow the guidelines for bar graphs
- Use symbols that are universally recognized.
- Keep the pictogram clean and simple (avoid too much
- visual clutter).
Graphic Illustrations
- A cutaway diagram shows the item with its exterior layers removed to
reveal interior sections.
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- A block diagram represents the relationship between the parts of an
item, principle, system, or process.
1. Maps are especially useful for showing comparisons and for helping
users visualize position, location, and relationships among various data.
Maps
- Use maps from credible sources, such as government agencies.
- Keep colors to a minimum, which is easier to read
Photographs
- Photographs are especially useful for showing exactly how something
looks or done.
- Unlike a diagram, which highlights certain parts of an item, photographs
show everything.
- A photograph can be useful, it also can provide too much detail or fail
to emphasize the parts on which you want people to focus.
Videos
- Video cameras and easy-to-access video sites make it simple for
organizations to create videos.
- Sometimes in place of documents such as user manuals and
instructions.
Using Color
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Color often makes a presentation more interesting, focusing viewers’
attention and helping them identify various elements.
Use color:
- To organize information (using color background and rules)
- To orient readers (using color headings, tabs, boxes, sidebars, callouts,
and leader lines)
- To emphasize information (using color key words, cross references,
Web links, etc.)
Ethical Considerations
- You are ethically responsible for avoiding misrepresentation.
- Any one set of data can support contradictory conclusions.
- Even though your numbers may be accurate, your visual display could
be misleading:
Cultural Considerations
- Visual communication can serve as a universal language—as long as
the graphic or image is not misinterpreted.
- The use of color is an especially important cultural consideration
Guidelines for Obtaining and Citing Visual Material
Copyright
- Look for visuals that are either copyright free or cleared for purposes.
- Use public domain sources.
- Follow fair use guidelines.
- Cite the source of the data you used to create your visual.
- If the data is available on the Internet, provide the Web address or
other information.
Page Design
• Page design, the layout of words and graphics, determines the
look of a document.
• Well-designed pages invite readers into the document, guide them
through the material, and help them understand and remember the
information.
• Picture the document's overall look and feel when you make
design choices about pages.
• Select an appropriate grid pattern.
• Use white space to make pages easier to navigate.
• Use adequate margins.
• Keep line lengths easy on the eye.
• For PDF documents, use white space to break up text and make it
easier for people to read on a screen.
• Lay out headings by level for clarity to announce the large and
small segments in your document.
• Decide how to phrase your headings. Depending on your
purpose, you can phrase headings as short phrases, statements, or
questions.
• Make headings visually consistent and grammatically parallel.
• Assume that the message will travel far beyond its intended
recipient.
• The audience for an email might be vast
• The purpose of the email should be speci c
• Make the purpose clear and the message brief.
• Workplace email should be professional in style and tone, not only
because it may reach unintended recipients, but also out of respect
for your colleagues and coworkers.
Email Style and Tone
• Use language that is respectful in tone and does not blame. Be
polite, professional, and thoughtful.
• Don’t use email for complex discussions. Keep it simple.
2. Formatting:
◦ For a very brief email, stick with just one paragraph.
◦ Don’t indent paragraphs.
◦ End with a signature block.
◦ Don’t send huge or specially formatted attachments without
rst checking with the recipient.
◦ Use formatting sparingly.
◦ Use your email application’s default font for everyday
messages.
◦ Don’t use email as one giant ling cabinet.
• Guidelines:
◦ Consider your audience and purpose.
◦ Keep text messages brief and to the point.
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◦ Avoid too many abbreviations.
◦ Know when to end the conversation.
◦ Be professional in tone, style, and etiquette.
◦ Avoid discussing con dential topics.
◦ Use the organization’s in-house tool instead of texting
someone’s phone.
Résumés
• A résumé is essentially an applicant’s personal advertisement for
employment, providing an instant overview to employers.
• A strong résumé looks good, reads easily, appears honest, and
includes only relevant information.
• Résumés that are awed, cluttered, sketchy, hard to follow, or seem
dishonest are likely to be discarded.
Parts of a Résumé
• Do not include:
◦ Desired salary, bene ts, and time o .
◦ Your photograph.
◦ Information that is illegal for companies to request (e.g.,
race, age, marital status, etc.).
1. Contact Information:
• Provide your current and accurate phone number and email
address.
• Include a professional website address, if applicable.
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2. Career Objective:
• Clearly state the kind of job you want, tailored to each application.
• Avoid vague statements and be speci c about your immediate and
long-range goals.
3. Education:
• Start with your most recent schooling and work backward.
• Include the school name, degree, year completed, major, and
minor.
• Add class rank or GPA if favorable.
• Omit high school unless it’s relevant.
4. WorkExperience:
6. References:
• Include three to ve professional references with contact
information.
• Alternatively, write "References available upon request" and
provide a separate list.
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7. Portfolios:
• If applicable, assemble a portfolio showcasing your work (e.g.,
documents, visual designs).
• Indicate on your résumé: "Portfolio available upon request."
Application Letters
• Complements the résumé by detailing how your credentials align
with the job.
• Two types:
1. Solicited Letters: Respond to advertised positions.
2. Unsolicited Letters: Target companies of interest without
posted openings.
Purpose of a de nition
Societal: Poorly considered de nitions may mislead the public and have
societal rami cations.
Global: De nitions that fail to consider a global audience can appear self-
serving and damage a company’s global image.
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Types of De nitions
1. Etymology = Origin
2. History
3. Negation = contradiction
4. Operating Principle = how it works
5. Analysis of Parts = breaking down
6. Visuals
7. Comparison and Contrast
8. Required Conditions for operation
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9. Examples
- How to use it
- How to operate it
- How to Assemble it
- How to Manufacture it
- For someone to know more.
1. What is it ?
2. What does it entail ?
3. What does it look like ?
4. What are its parts ?
5. What does it do ?
6. How does it work ?
7. How does it happen?
To be objective
- Provide visual details
- Use precise and informative language
Elements of Descriptions
- Must be clear.
- Identical interpretation by a broad audience
- Every part of the team must agree on what there is to do + how to do it
Common types:
1. Web pages
2. Brochures
3. Fact sheets
4. Letters
5. Large color documents
8. E ective Design the more visually engaging the design is the more the
readers will follow.
- informative headers
- numbered steps
- ample white space
- bullets
- visuals
2. ❌ unnecessary information.
3. Focus on task.
4. Omit steps that are obvious.
5. Divide into simple steps and sub-steps.
6. Adjust the information rate.
7. Visuals
8. Keep it simple
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Guidelines for Designing Instructions
- High Cost made it common for manuals to be both print and digital or
be fully digital.
- Most Commonly PDFs ( maintains Proper Formatting )
Video Instructions
Usable Document
- Enables readers to easily locate the information.
- Understand this information immediately.
- Use it safely and e ectively.
Always preform:
1. Think-Aloud Evaluation a group of colleagues talking through the
document to test its e ectiveness.
2. Focus group a group of people from outside of the company invited in
to test a document
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Ch 22 Proposals
Proposals
• A proposal attempts to persuade an audience to:
◦ Authorize a project.
◦ Accept a service or product.
◦ Support a speci c plan for solving a problem or improving a
situation.
• Proposals can be written alone or collaboratively, depending on
the project’s complexity.
• If your job depends on funding from outside sources, proposals
might be the most important documents you produce.
• Provide di erent examples for a proposal.
Someone o ers a plan for something that needs to be done. This process
has three stages:
Types of Proposals
Proposals can be categorized as:
1. Solicited or Unsolicited:
◦ Solicited Proposals: Requested by a manager, client, or
customer.
◦ Unsolicited Proposals: Not requested.
2. Informal or Formal:
◦ Informal Proposals:
▪ Can be in the form of an email or memo (within an
organization).
▪ Can be in the form of a letter (sent outside an
organization).
◦ Formal Proposals:
▪ Follow the same format as formal reports.
7. Appropriate Detail
• Avoid vagueness; spell out all necessary information.
8. Readability
• Make the proposal straightforward, easy to follow, and
understandable.
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9. A tone that Connects with Readers
• Use a tone that motivates action.
• Be con dent and encouraging, not bossy or critical.
10. Visuals
• Emphasize key points with relevant visuals such as tables and
owcharts.
• Ensure visuals are properly introduced and discussed.
Structuring a Proposal
1. Introduction
◦ Sell your idea from the start.
◦ Demonstrate the need for the project, your quali cations,
and your understanding of the problem and procedures.
2. Body
◦ Prove that your plan will work.
◦ Provide enough detail for the audience to evaluate the
plan’s soundness.
3. Conclusion
◦ Rea rm the need for the project and encourage the
audience to act.
◦ End with a strong, assertive, and con dent conclusion. Keep
it brief.