Technical Communication at UAHuntsville

UAH students can take EH 442/542: Usability Studies this spring! The course is a great introduction to interesting theory, marketable skills, and cutting-edge research practices! Check out the course description for this exciting project-based course:

This course will introduce students to usability testing and research as a user centered design strategy and familiarize students with user and task analysis, interaction design, interface analyses, research-based heuristics, usability assessments, lo-fi prototyping and evaluation. Through a process approach, students will learn how to define audiences and issues, design an appropriate investigative procedure, administer the procedure, analyze the results, and report their findings effectively. Through these activities students will apply accepted rhetorical concepts, sound learning theory, excellent design principles, and professional communication standards.

The minimum requirement of any good technical document is that it communicates what is required of the user in a clear, concise, manner. Yet, far too often, technical manuals bear a striking similarity to experimental poetry, where the meaning is known only to the author. Peter Vogel once argued that users typically refer to the manual only when they are already frustrated. While this is certainly the case, I would further posit that on occasion, the source of the user’s frustration can be the technical manual itself. Case in point: The Martin Archery Take-Down Bow OWNER’S MANUAL.

The Diagram:

To be fair, the exploded view of the bow on the front page of the four page manual does offer clear instructions for assembly. The diagram accurately represents the parts and assembly. The clear directions listed here allowed me to quickly assemble the body of the bow without incident. However, that is only half the task. A bow without a string is little more than a piece of furniture, which leads me to part two.

Stringing the Bow: Where it all went wrong

Page two of the manual features a paragraph entitled “Stringing your Bow.” Martin Archery included a (rarely included) tool called a bowstringer to assist with this task, promising that its use would prevent the limbs of the bow from distorting. The manual offers a lengthy paragraph extolling the virtues of the bowstringer. What was conspicuously absent was any text informing a first time user as to how to effectively use the bowstringer. Instead, there is a drawing that a stringer being used, devoid of any further instruction:

Attempt one: I placed the stringer on the limbs of the bow, and then slipped the loops of the bowstring itself over the limbs after the bowstringer. I followed the procedure outlined in the diagram, and it worked—for all of three seconds. The stringer caused the bow string to slip from its grooves. Once the tension was released, the limb of the bow de-flexed, colliding with my ribs. After no small amount of profanity, I moved on to

Attempt two: A few of the more crucial portions of the legal action of Wile E. Coyote vs. Acme Corporation echoed in my mind, as I attempted once again to string the bow. This time, I wound up with the string dangling loose inside of the now taut bowstring. This was problematic because an arrow could potentially tangle in the stringer.

Attempt 3: I placed both the bow and the stringer on the limbs of the bow; then I placed my foot on the stringer. I tugged upward, just as the diagram suggested; this time I wound up with the stringer dangling loosely from the top of the bow with the other end secured to the top limb. At this point I gave up and consulted this YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERWnqmOMURo.

Resolution:

In the space of less than a minute (the video shows how to string and un-string the bow, I paused after the first part), the YouTube video successfully demonstrated, how to quickly string my bow. While the manual was lacking in terminology and proper instructions, the video named each part of the stringer and where to properly place the stringer in relation the bow, demonstrating that the stringer does not “tow” the string into place, but rather bends the limbs of the bow allowing the user to move the loose end of the string to the notches while keeping tension on the body of the bow rather than the bowstring.

Conclusion:

The Martin Archery Take-Down Bow OWNER’S MANUAL stands as a cautionary tale of how technical writing, when done poorly, can be hazardous. A lack of clear verbiage accompanying the diagram, which would inform the reader on where to place the parts of the stringer and how to use it properly, resulted in frustration and lost time. This could have easily been avoided, had the writers applied the same care and attention to detail in crafting the instructions for stringing the bow as they did for its assembly. At the cost of perhaps another page of text, the writers could have added more diagrams, or at the very least, step by step instructions for where to place the stringer in relation to the bow. Additionally, it would have given the user the all important detail that the body of the bow is to be bent, releasing tension on the bowstring, rather than trying to, by physical strength, pull the string into the notches. Had such measures been taken, Martin’s client would have experienced far less frustration, and it goes without saying fewer bruised ribs!

-Allen Berry

So you’re looking for a job and you’ve just completed your resume, and it’s looking good: the formatting is right, it’s concise, and you’re pretty satisfied until you get rejected for job after job. What’s the matter? Well, you have not framed your resume, and I don’t mean mounting it on your wall in a picture frame.

http://www.recruiterview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/job-search-humour.jpg

Framing is a technique that is most often used in media, marketing, and politics. It is how newscasters get you to view a certain story in a certain way, how companies convince you to buy their products even though you don’t need it, and how politicians get you to vote for them even though you don’t agree with them at all. Sounds a lot like manipulation, yes, but it is useful. Framing, in technical and more positive terms, is the rearranging of content so that the writer emphasizes what he or she wants the reader to focus on. This is one of the most crucial parts of resume writing, and by this I mean arranging and rearranging the content of your resume so that you look like the best candidate.
When framing your resume the most important thing you can do is research the job and the company.

Do Your Research:

Know the Job
You need to know something about not only the job but the employer. Not all technical writing jobs, for example, are the same at every company. The first place to check, of course, is the requirements section on the job listing and cater your resume to that company’s requirements. You should also pick and choose which of your other qualifications or past jobs could boost your resume a bit. But, do not include that one summer when you worked as a counselor at a day camp because if it is not relevant to the job you want it will not help you, and it will clutter your resume.

Know the Company
While you should check the requirements on the job listing, you should also get to know things about the company that are not on the job listing, for example, do they use the agile method, or are their technical writers expected to sit alone in an office in the back near the bathroom. Your resume could play up to this. You could emphasize the jobs you had where teamwork was encouraged or emphasize those jobs where you were expected to be productive without much overhead. Or add them both to show that you can work in any environment because you’re flexible.
Once you’ve done your research and you know the job and the company you are ready to frame your resume and essentially sell yourself which is what any good resume attempts to do. The thing to be sure of is that you do this for every job because the most important aspect as I have explained is knowing the audience. Even if you are applying within the same company your audience can still change so be sure to frame your resume specifically for your audience each time. Happy job hunting!

For more information visit:
http://rockportinstitute.com/resumes/

http://masscommtheory.com/theory-overviews/framing-theory/

http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/twimberley/EnviroPhilo/IPCCFraming.pdf

Ashley Sylvester

There’s a high probability that entry-level technical writers will work in an agile environment on a scrum team. Many companies, especially software companies, are adopting the agile model. Agile is a way to involve more people from different areas of expertise into a single setting when developing a product. The basic idea is that team members will have more efficient communication and input through various stages of project development than they had before being placed into agile teams. Scrum groups are usually comprised of the product owner, the development team (3-9 individuals of cross-functional skills), and the scrum master. The overall objective of an agile environment is to create a better product and increase revenue for the company.

New situations can be intimidating. If you’ve never been a part of a scrum team or worked in an agile environment, you don’t really know what to expect. Sure, you can do some research and be somewhat aware of what a scrum team is and what it does, but you don’t have experience until you’ve been a part of a scrum team. Besides researching, what else can you do to prepare yourself? You can start by practicing good manners and etiquette.

Before stepping foot into your first agile or scrum meeting, even if you’re not sure what to expect, you can still prepare yourself to make a good impression. The following are five tips to help you do this. There are several other ways in which you can display good manners and proper etiquette in the workplace, but this is a good place to start.

1. Electronic Devices
If you bring an electronic device into a scrum meeting, use it in an appropriate way and at appropriate times. Make sure your phone is on silent. If you get a call, don’t disrupt the meeting. I’m not referring to emergencies here. There are times (sick child, accident, etc.) when you must take a call. Don’t text. Save that for after the meeting and after work is over for the day, if possible. If someone is speaking to you, don’t have your nose stuck in your device. Look them in the eye and pay attention. There aren’t many things more rude or annoying than trying to have a conversation with someone while they’re lost in a cell phone or iPad.
2. Attire
It should go without saying that in professional environments one should dress professionally. Most companies usually have a dress code or standard for employees. If the dress code is outlined in an employee manual, the guidelines for work attire will be clearly defined. Sometimes, however, the dress code can be less formal. If the latter is the case, pay attention to how everyone else is dressed and follow their example. Avoid clothing that is too revealing. You want to present yourself by the way you dress as someone who is ready to work, not someone who’s ready for a night at the club.
3. Listen
You’re the new guy. This is your first scrum meeting. Don’t try to impress everyone with the world-changing idea you have for the company. There’ll be time to share that later. Listen. Pay attention. Take notes. Learn.
4. Unnecessary Noise
Because this is your first meeting, chances are you’re going to be nervous. Anxiety affects people in different ways and at different levels. Some people seem to never get nervous in any situation. For others, anxiety can be crippling. Be careful to not make any extra noise that might distract others. Tapping a pen on the table, making audible noises with your mouth, tapping your foot on something, etc., all of these can be very distracting to some people. Be aware if you do these things when you’re nervous and make a conscious effort to avoid such habits.
5. Punctuality
Be at least five minutes early to the meeting if you can. If the meeting starts at 9:00, don’t be walking in the door at 9:00. That would make you late. The meeting might already be in progress at that point. You could be a distraction if you’re jostling around for a seat while everyone else is already settled in. Arriving early will give you a chance to get acclimated to your surroundings and will help you relax.

How not to conduct yourself in a scrum meeting

Remember when your high school teacher assigned a group project? You didn’t mind as long you got to pick the members of your group. If your teacher picked the members, then you knew it was a recipe for disaster. You hoped that at least one member of the group would be the quintessential over-achiever, that person who always had to make the perfect grade and never settled for less than perfection. That would’ve been a bonus. On the other hand, you could virtually be assured that at least one person in the group would be the lazy guy who never did anything in class. You could always count on that guy to do absolutely nothing. But the one person, above all, you did not want in your group was the guy nobody got along with. He never listened to anything anyone else tried to say. He bullied his ideas into being accepted by the group. He showed up late for assignments. He made the whole project unbearable and unproductive. Don’t be that guy.

Links provided if you want to learn more about proper etiquette and manners in business meeting environments. A general business meeting isn’t the same thing as a scrum meeting, but the settings are similar.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/10-rules-proper-business-meeting-etiquette-2857.html
http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/news/mac-membership/2013/10/15/mind-your-manners-tips-for-business-meeting-etiquette
http://www.advancedetiquette.com/blog/tag/meeting-manners/

Matt Williams