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:Know Your Audience From:Gwen Gall <ggall -at- CA -dot- ORACLE -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 28 Dec 1994 12:13:00 EST
In the same posting from another list, the author offers these interesting
remarks about UI design, which of course can be applied to tech. writing:
"As designers, we really do need to be aware of our potential audience. Colleen
Cool (1988) describes three things to be aware of when designing (and G.
Nelson (not Ted Nelson...) stresses the same things for any industrial design).
1. Have a stereotypical knowledge of your audience
2. Have an _intimate_ knowledge of their experience (at least the major
ones).
3. Know what they're trying to accomplish with your tool"
Cheers,
Gwen (ggall -at- ca -dot- oracle -dot- com)
Oracle MultiDimension
"Why can't somebody give us a list of things that everybody thinks and
nobody says, and another list of things that everybody says and nobody thinks."