This episode reviews the Concept Blog Project for TCID 4065.
Our technical writing firm has been hired by Client experiencing a significant increase in customer complaints regarding the documentation for a recently launched product. Internal and external users find the documents confusing, poorly organized, and lacking essential information. The engineers find the content oversimplified, while the business side feels everything is too jargon-laden for most audiences. The documentation for this product must serve all the stakeholders in the best way possible (engineering team, business team, and end-users/customers). As a technical writer, you have been tasked with assessing the situation and providing suggestions for them to improve their work. You will identify and analyze current research articles on relevant topics (use the provided articles from the weekly readings OR locate new ones), synthesize key findings, and apply them to a practical workplace scenario. You will produce a Visual Research Brief with citations of the articles and the project completion report.
Our technical writing firm has been hired by a higher education advocacy group that wants to propose a new degree type to university officials through an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. They have drafted a proposal and asked you to evaluate the document and provide feedback. You suspect that the group heavily utilized an LLM in creating the proposal, so you asked them to explain their creative process. They provided a video commentary on the edits to reference as you further assess the work. You take all their materials and return a written analysis with comments on their work to help them improve their proposal.
Our technical writing firm is working with a think tank in your field (a collection of thought leaders and researchers tasked with solving problems). A client asked the think tank to help them decide between two potential solutions to an issue with sustainability, equity, or economic impacts in their field. Given the current technological, social, and economic climate, you’ve found the leading TWO solutions and are researching the best option. You address a formal letter to the actual organization or person who influences this field (the stakeholder who contracted the think tank). Your letter needs to identify the work filled in and persuade them that your report is credible, helpful, and oriented toward actions. Then, the report shows the highest level of formality with background research, clear methods, data for each criterion used to compare the solutions, and the final recommendation.
The Goals: To create a persuasive pitch video that effectively communicates the project's value and potential impact.
The Asks:
This episode explains the expectations for grading in the LLM Challenge: SOP.
The Goals: To provide the student success and advising center with a finalized Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementing the routine.
The Asks:
This episode describes the expectations when grading the Design Tools Challenge.
The Goals: Replicate the provided file as closely as possible to show your skills with information and graphic design software
The Asks:
This episode outlines the expectations and grading for the User Guide Analysis project.
The Goals: To assess the client's existing user guides for a specific product and notice adjustments
The Asks:
This file explains the expectations for the eBooklet project as I grade your work.
The Goals: To teach a "student success hack" using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace tools. This implies you need to find a specific, useful technique that leverages these tools to help students improve their academic performance or organization.
The Asks:
This episode is a brief grading note and explanation of what I was looking for when reviewing your projects.
Project Summary Below:
Our technical writing firm has been hired by a Client to create a video demonstration for their products. You've been assigned to develop that video that guides potential customers through your product's set-up, instructions, and troubleshooting. Your audience comprises individuals who have purchased or are considering purchasing the product. They may have varying levels of familiarity with similar products, so creating a video that is easy to understand for beginners and informative for those with some prior experience is essential. The video will be posted on the product's promotional website and linked in confirmation emails sent to customers after purchase. The final video will be 3-6 minutes long and will be submitted as a link so I can view it on YouTube, Vimeo, Stream, etc.
The Goals: To create a video demonstration that effectively guides customers through the product's setup, instructions, and troubleshooting.
Ask 1: Develop a script that outlines the key steps involved in setting up, using, and troubleshooting the product.
Ask 2: Record video footage demonstrating each step clearly and concisely.
Ask 3: Incorporate narration or on-screen text to guide viewers through the process.
Ask 4: Edit the video, adding music, transitions, and visual effects to enhance engagement.
Ask 6: Reflect on the process in a project completion report
This lecture covers an Introduction to Digital Accessibility as part of the Introduction to Technical Writing and Presentation series.
Accessibility is the broad subject and term that describes the quality of being easily reached, entered, or used who have a disability. As technical writers we narrow that to digital accessibility, which is specific to information and content.
The lecture is divided into three core sections.
This project asks you to prompt a generative AI for a technical description of an object that you then draw.
Your project will be graded on the following requirements:
A formal memo as your project retrospective that details:
Work Assessment: how you met the objectives of the project
Process Reflection: why you made your creative choices and solved problems during the project
Applications: how the skills, technology, and experiences from this project will help you improve as a professional in your field
Transcript of the chat conversation with the AI to prompt your invention
Drawings that you made based on the prompt with notes for the dimensions, materials, and other relevant specifications
Photo of your initial hand-drawn sketch ideas
Final rendering: polished illustration, digital line drawing, 3D model, etc.
Your editing and overall polish will be assessed for skip, scan, skim.
This project asks you to replicate a document to explore advanced formatting tools/features inside of Word or Docs.
Your work will be graded based on the following requirements:
A formal memo as your project retrospective that details:
Work Assessment: how you met the objectives of the project
Process Reflection: why you made your creative choices and solved problems during the project
Applications: how the skills, technology, and experiences from this project will help you improve as a professional in your field
Replicated document that includes a close match for the header, headings, sidebars/columns, text box, diagram, fonts, colors, and icons.
You must include polished writing, visuals, and design throughout the sections.
This project asks you to describe an invention with enough detail to support the development of the product or app.
Your project will be graded on the required elements:
A formal memo as your project retrospective that details:
Work Assessment: how you met the objectives of the project
Process Reflection: why you made your creative choices and solved problems during the project
Applications: how the skills, technology, and experiences from this project will help you improve as a professional in your field
A specification sheet with four headings of content:
Product Overview: Briefly describe the product, its purpose, and its target users.
Key Features and Functionality: List the product's primary features and how they function to solve your user's problems
Technical Specifications: Detail the product's technical aspects, such as dimensions & materials (physical products), software requirements and code language/elements (digital products from a CS and coding role), user experience and information infrastructure (app-based products from a UX or technical writer role), or any relevant technical standards. This area will most likely change depending on your career roles and product type.
Prototype Visuals: Include product sketches, diagrams, flowcharts, or images.
You must include polished writing, visuals, and design throughout the sections.
This project asks you to create a 3-6 minute highly edited/produced video that informs and entertains a general, interested audience about a technical topic.
Your project will be graded on the following required elements:
You are also graded on the work's overall polish, editing, and professional impact.
This project asks you to write a formal memo that contains a detailed proposal on what [you will do], when [you will do it], and how [you will do it] for your work in the semester. You should identify the grade you want to earn with a concrete plan for accomplishing that goal.
Your project will be graded on the following required elements:
You are also graded on the work's overall polish, editing, and professional impact.
This episode describes what I was looking for in the Usability Report assignment to help you reflect on your grade.
The project asked you to:
Submit a pdf between 15-25* single-spaced pages with all the standards of a formal report.
Letter of Transmittal to Client
Front Matter
Usability Report Sections
Back Matter-
*The document is longer because you add your testing materials and data scorecards. The content itself is ~4,000 words.
An early step in the writing process (and most professional/technical projects) is developing a plan that captures your ideas, and it is common for stakeholders to request progress reports on the work. Project plans and progress reports promote transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making, ultimately leading to successful project outcomes.
I expect documentation on your work so far- with actual progress being made- and a literal plan you can follow to complete the class with the grade you want/need. Your plan must include language, details, dates, and action items for the remaining projects you intend to complete.
This voice note reflects on the expectations for a functional to very effective instructional eBooklet project.
You were asked to create a digital booklet that guides your readers through the step-by-step process of completing your chosen task. The goal is to practice your technical writing skills by presenting clear, concise, and easy-to-follow instructions. Your digital eBooklet should be visually appealing, incorporating images, diagrams, and special tips/notes to enhance the learning experience. The eBooklet will be a comprehensive resource, providing detailed step-by-step instructions, relevant visuals, and a troubleshooting table.
This project asks you to create a reference library using a wiki software for a company to organize technical descriptions about industry topics.
Your project will be graded on the following requirements:
A formal memo as your project retrospective that details:
-Work Assessment: how you met the objectives of the project
-Process Reflection: why you made your creative choices and solved problems during the project
-Applications: how the skills, technology, and experiences from this project will help you improve as a professional in your field
A wiki home page that provides
-Welcome: the purpose and orientation of the library you've created, including its branding
-Software Description: how the wiki software works so their employees understand the tool
-Best Practices: for writing technical descriptions so their employees can add quality entries on their own
An entry for a piece of equipment relevant to the company that models
-Extended Definition: the type, class, and features that distinguish the equipment
-Mechanical Functions: a detailed explanation of how the components work as a system
-Specifications: a list of the color, material, weight, dimensions, and other relevant specs
An entry for a non-instructional technical process (select a chemical, biological, physics, electrical circuit, or environmental process) relevant to the company that models:
-Extended Definition: the type, class, and stages that distinguish the process
-Sequencing: a detailed explanation of how the process completes and functions as a system
-Outcomes: an overview of the output generated by the process sequence
One type of each visual with a caption and proper copyright considerations
-Photo, Rendering, or Illustration
-Table
-Diagram or Flowchart
You must include polished writing, visuals, and design throughout the sections.