TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Now here's an idea From:Lissa Story <lstory -at- INTERNET -dot- KRONOS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 22 Feb 1994 17:10:38 EST
My company has just started a new development process that
follows the theory with a few additions.
After the marketing folks write the marketing specs
and the developers write the functional specs,
the tech writers create a prototype of the user interface.
Then representatives from marketing, development,
documentation, quality assurance, training, customer
service, and technical support hold design review meetings.
People get to see what the product will look like, instead
of trying to visualize it from the specs. And, in theory,
everyone agrees on how the product should work and look.
(They speak then or forever hold their peace.)
Then based on the final prototype, SQA writes their
automated testing scripts and the writers write their
manuals and the developers code.