Technical writing
Documentation pages on Technical writing (12 pages).
This topic brings together 12 pages across the manual:
Content creation
ConceptLearning path: 2. Build a documentation process
The technical writer creates the content of the technical writing project in constant dialogue with the company's various stakeholders, such as R&D and marketing.
Delivery
ConceptLearning path: 2. Build a documentation process
Delivery is the final step: validated content reaches its audiences through the format and channel chosen at project definition, from animations and brochures to newsletters, website updates, and printed or PDF guides.
Formats and tools
ConceptLearning path: 4. Choose an authoring modelSource vs target formats
When industrializing technical writing, the format matters more than the tool. Compare proprietary formats like Word and FrameMaker against open standards like DITA XML and DocBook to find the right fit.
Learning path: 1. Understand documentation
Technical communication is often reduced to technical writing. Technical writing provides product documentation and sits downstream of the sale.
Gathering information
ConceptLearning path: 2. Build a documentation process
How technical writers gather information: expert interviews, product testing, existing documentation, and field observations to build accurate and useful content.
Learning path: 1. Understand documentation
How the KISS principle applies to technical documentation: information architecture, DITA content reuse, and sentence-level writing that stays maintainable.
Project definition
ConceptLearning path: 2. Build a documentation process
Define your technical documentation project before writing: identify the audience, scope, deliverables, and success criteria to guide the entire editorial process.
Source format
ConceptLearning path: 4. Choose an authoring modelSource vs target formats
Word processors have unaccustomed us to distinguishing between form and content. But confusing the two leads to many errors and wasted time.
Target format
ConceptLearning path: 4. Choose an authoring modelSource vs target formats
The target format is what end users consume - PDF, HTML, or compiled help - generated from a single source. Learn the difference between fully automatic, semi-automatic, and manual publishing.
Learning path: 2. Build a documentation process
A technical writer must test the product in real user conditions before documenting it, not merely compile what stakeholders say - cutting through their partial views and the information loss that undermines accuracy.
Learning path: 1. Understand documentation
Compare the three maturity levels of technical documentation - from informal notes to modular structured content - and see what sets each stage apart.
Learning path: 2. Build a documentation process
Validate technical documentation before delivery: run validation in parallel with writing, track every change request through a CMS workflow or a ticketing system, and use comparison tools to review updates reliably.