Approach 

I have always loved working with written communication, but I did not immediately begin my career in English. I decided to return to school in my early thirties to finish a degree I had started ten years prior. Since then I have had the opportunity to study a subject I love, practice the skills I have learned, and hone my technical writing sensibilities.

 

As a technical communicator, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of subjects employing a range of different strategies. Oftentimes my work involves becoming the mediator between something very complex and the person hoping to understand it. Because of this, when I work, I aim to bridge the gap between the familiar and the new—and I am always looking to accomplish this in creative, yet useful ways that will capture attention and promote successful outcomes.

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My approach to technical writing centers on one primary value: human-centered design. You might wonder why I say "human-centered design" rather than user-centered design. Initially, I took this cue from Don Norman's The Design of Everyday Things. In it Norman writes that "Human-centered design is a design philosophy. It means starting with a good understanding of people and the needs the design is intended to meet." Though Norman illustrates this design philosophy with common things like doors, the philosophy may be applied to anything that is designed. And, as Norman writes, "not all designed things involve physical structures." I may not design doors, but I do design documents. Those documents must also start with an understanding of the humans who will use them, and the goals they want to accomplish.

 

Designing and building products with humans in mind naturally promotes a more empathetic approach, and empathy is critical for creating products that enable humans to accomplish their goals. Though I understand the widespread popularity and use of the word "user" in the fields of usability, user-centered design, and user experience, I feel that it is important to overtly humanize our users by remembering, or reminding ourselves, when necessary, that our users are humans. Humans just like you and me.

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