Technical Writing in the Digital Age: Difference between revisions

User experience (UX) is how a product works from the perspective of the user. Digital documents can be created with efficient user experiences by practicing several design methods, including user-centered design, information architecture, responsive design, and usability.{{Citation needed}}  

The approach of user-centered design (UCD) in technical writing consists of the following methodology{{sfn|Lucas|2023e}}:

* Usability testing: the act of having users interact with digital document designs and recording and adjusting the design based on user feedback

To ensure a digital document has effective UX design and accessible information, technical writers need to construct a clear and organized information architecture (IA). IA is a design principle that organizes information so that it is easily found and understood by users, prioritizing their needs and reducing information overload. A design challenge is making IA understood across multiple digital experiences, changing the navigation structure to fit different medias while staying logical and consistent for the user.{{sfn|Rosenfeld|pp=1, 17-18}} IA that is not constructed well can confuse the user and could cause them to give up their search of information in frustration.{{sfn|Garrand|pp=12}}   

The architecture components of IA can be divided into four different categories:{{sfn|Rosenfeld|pp=90}}  

Responsive design is a strategy that appropriately updates the layout and content of a website or document in relation to the screen size, device, and/or orientation, allowing the site or document to be easily viewed and navigated regardless of device used. With the increased use of mobile devices, web content should be constructed with proper responsive web design (RWD) to ensure effective UX and usability on those devices.{{sfn|Robbins| pp=485}}   

There are several design strategies that can be implemented that will increase the success of RWD:{{sfn|Robbins| pp=487}}   

*Fluid layout – Responsive sites can be constructed using a fluid layout (or flexible grid) system that will allow content to adjust and flow according to the available screen space.

*Flexible and responsive images – Images and other embedded media can be instructed so that they fit their containers instead of remaining at a fixed size. Images with varying resolutions can also be swapped according to screen size to avoid high-resolution images on smaller devices.  

*CSS media queries – Media queries can be written into the CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), which would instruct the construction of the site according to screen width and orientation. Adding breakpoints for several screen sizes allows pages to be designed for specific devices.

*Content hierarchy – Carefully constructing content that is organized for the user and creating a hierarchy of content that prioritizes user needs is necessary to ensure effective user experience and navigation across multiple screen sizes.{{sfn|Robbins| pp=499}}

Technical writers must create documents and websites that meet the expectations of their readers and users, and in doing so, writers increase the usability of their site or document.{{sfn|Garrand|pp=26}} Usability can be applied with visual aids, clear and concise language, and structured design.