Technical Writing Blog

Almost a year since the launch of ChatGPT — and this neural network is still extremely popular. As of today, it is used by more than half a billion users. People are using it for everything from generating essays and stories to explaining complex concepts to assisting with programming. Technical writers, in particular, have been…

In human perception, there are many unwritten laws that function almost like mathematical rules. One of these laws concerns the perception of indirect information. You may already know that information becomes more comprehensible when it is ‘wrapped’ in a story. You may have seen this law in action when explaining things to kids. Usually, it…

Some time ago, the efforts of SaaS (software as a service) companies seemed to be dispersed across different resources. Teams had to hover from content creation to API, translation, and localization tools. This inconvenience was a problem that required an urgent solution. Naturally, the trend was towards integration, and the result was the creation of…

Limiting access to documentation is a usual practice for companies who provide SaaS (software-as-a-service) products. This may sound illogical because public documentation like user guides, online manuals, and help docs enhance the product’s usability and popularity. Still, certain documents are meant for internal use only. These are SOPs (standard operating procedures), employee handbooks, company policies,…

Today, consumers are scattered across various online platforms, such as websites, social media, mobile apps, online stores, etc. Content is generated in different formats for each platform. For example, websites use HTML, while eBooks and PDF formats are suitable for online stores. Multi-channel publishing involves creating basic content and repurposing it in various formats. However,…

Document version control is a vital part of any documentation management process, where it is necessary to keep track of all changes made to the documents. It is used in various fields, such as software development or design and construction. Document version control is required in any field of technical writing, particularly in long-term projects…

The way documentation looks is not just text or visuals placed on a page. The appearance of technical information includes a complex system of features. Some time ago, documentation features were regulated by style guides available in every company. Traditionally, company style guides were based on popular stylebooks such as the Modern Language Association Handbook,…

The creation of content is an on-going process. The company’s technical writers constantly create content to support the product, incorporating new features and developments. Additionally, it is common for similar issues to be covered in different documents, as is typical for CCMSs (component content management systems). These circumstances give rise to the challenges of searchability…

These days, PDF files — short for “Portable Document Format” — are one of the most regularly used files. One can say it has almost become a usual requirement that simplifies the interaction between departments and increases the working productivity overall. There are some undeniable advantages that made PDFs such a helpful office assistant. Compatibility….

A business requirements document (BRD) is a reflection of the main idea behind a project. It describes the goals and objectives of the project and the results it is designed to achieve. No matter what field you are working in, you need a robust BRD to manage and align all the activities within the project….