Re: Don Norman on Manual Writing

[Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca>]

My experience has been that design IS a discovery process. Unwanted 
discoveries, sometimes, but always discovery as the design moves from 
imagination to concrete form. BAs and RAs/SAs HAD to be involved in the 
design to adjust that design as necessary to meet the requirements. 
Design is the process of implementing the specifications that come out 
of requirements analysis. Each phase is a discovery and learning 
process, especially if you're working on something new. Techwriters, as 
specialists in communication, also need to be involved in both phases so 
that the thoughts, ideas, plans, and visions can be brought out of 
people's heads into a more universally understood form.

Tony Markos wrote: