Western Institute of Technology

Luna St., Lapaz, Iloilo City

English 3 - TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Nature of Technical Communication (TC)

A. Definition
Technical Communication is the process of communicating usable information as a basis for action such
as making deliberate decisions, perform complex tasks, solve problems and create ideas in response to technical
and societal issues.

In this Information Age, technical communication makes use of Websites, Internets, on line or offline
resources to gather all sorts of data (measurements, observations, prices, statistics and other raw facts) and
shape these into some types of documents (memo, letter, report, manual, online help, e-mail, web page or
script for an oral presentation).

In other words, technical communication is conveying usable information to various people in various
situations.

Technical Communication is unlike poetry or fiction which appeals to our understanding. Technical
Communication, therefore, rarely seeks to entertain, create suspense or invite differing interpretations.

Common examples of technical communication:

1. Proposing various projects to management or to clients
2. Writing progress reports
3. Preparing company news release for the public
4. Describing a new product to employees or customers
5. Writing procedures and instructions for employees or customers
6. Writing grants to seek funding for a community service agency
7. Editing and reviewing documents written by colleagues
8. Designing material that will be read on a computer screen or transformed into sound and pictures

B. Two Sides of Technical Communication

1. Electronic or Information technology (IT) side
Electronic mail (email), voice messaging, fax, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, Internet chat rooms,
hypertext, multimedia and other resources collectively known as IT enhance the speed, volume, and variety of
ways of transmitting information. Electronic mediated communication can reach a limitless audience instantly
and globally, and can solicit immediate feedback.
2. Human Side
Despite these tremendous advantages IT gives to our present communication, information still needs to
be written. Likewise, only human can give meaning to all the information they convey and receive. IT, in short, is
a tool not a substitute for human interaction.

Questions only human can answer:

1. Which information is most relevant to this situation?
2. Can I verify the accuracy of this source?
3. What does this information mean?
4. What action does it suggest?
5. How does this information affect me or my colleagues?
6. With whom should I share it?
7. How might others interpret this information?

People, who communicate on the job need to sort, organize their material so users can understand it and act on
it. With so much information required and so much available, no one can afford to “let the data speak for
themselves”,

C. Purposes of Technical Communication

1. To define something as in explaining what “variable annuity” means for insurance clients.
2. To describe something as in showing an architectural client what a new office building will look like.
3. To explain something as in telling a stereo technician how to eliminate bass flutter in your company’s
new line of speakers.
D. Types of Audiences or Readers of Technical Communication
1. Scientists
Scientists search for knowledge to “understand the world as it is”. Scientists look for at 98%
probability that chance played no role in a study’s outcome. They want to know how well the study was
designed and conducted and whether its findings can be replicated. Scientists know that their answers
are never “final”, but open ended and ongoing. What seems probable today might be rendered
improbable by tomorrow’s research.
2. Engineers
Engineers rearrange “the materials and forces of nature” to improve the way things work.
Engineers solve problems like these: how to erect a suspension bridge that withstands high winds, how
to design a lighter airplane or a smaller pacemaker, how to boost rocket thrust on a space shuttle. The
engineer’s concern is ultimately with practical applications, with structures and materials that are tested
for safety and dependability.
3. Executives
Executives focus on decision making. In a global business climate of overnight developments (in
world markets, political strife, military conflicts, and natural disasters) executives must often react on
the spur of the moment. In such cases, they rely on the best information immediately available even
when this information is incomplete or unverified.
4. Managers
Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of their organizations, focusing on problems like
these: how to motivate employees, how to increase productivity, how to save money, how to avoid
workplaces accidents. They collaborate with colleagues and supervise various projects. To keep things
running smoothly, managers rely on memos, reports, and other forms of information sharing.
5. Lawyers
Lawyers focus on protecting the corporation from liability or corporate sabotage by answering
questions like these: Do these instructions contain adequate warnings and cautions? Is there anything
about this product or document that could generate a lawsuit? Have any of our trade secrets been
revealed? Lawyers carefully review documents before approving their distribution outside the company.
6. The public
The public focuses on the big picture on what pertains to them directly: What does this mean to
me? How can I use this product safely and effectively? Why should I even read this? They rely on
information for some immediate practical purpose: to complete a task (What do I do next?). to learn
more about something (What are the facts and what do they mean?), to make a judgment (Is this good
enough?)

Regardless of type or category, every audience or reader expects a message tailored for
its own specific interests and information needs.

Because your reader knows less than you, he/she will have questions:
1. What is the purpose of this document?
2. Why should I read it?
3. What information can I expect to find here?
4. What happened and why?
5. How should I perform this task?
6. What action should be taken?
7. How much will it cost?
8. What are the risks?
9. Do I need to respond to this document? It so, how?

Whatever is the category, your audience or readers may be classified as primary or secondary. Primary readers
or users are those who requested the document as a basis for decisions or actions. Secondary users are those
who will carry out the project, who will advise the decision makers, or who will be affected by this decision in
some way.

E. Levels of Technicality of Technical Communication

1. Highly technical Document
Users of highly technical documents are experts who expect the facts and figures they need
without long explanations.
Highly technical documents answer concisely the anticipated questions of the readers: What is
the problem? What is the solution? What is the result?
2. Semi technical document
Users or readers of semi technical documents have some technical background, but less than
the experts. When you write to this audience, identify the lowest level of understanding in the group
 and write to that level. Too much explanation is better than too little. Therefore, facts and figures need
to be explained.
3. Nontechnical document
Readers of nontechnical documents have no training or technical background. They expect
technical data to be translated into words most people understand. Lay readers are impatient with
abstract theories but want enough background to help them make the right decision or take the right
action. They are bored confused by excessive detail, but frustrated by raw facts left unexplained or
uninterpreted. They expect to understand the document after reading it only once.

Information Campaign Material (ICM)

Elements of an Information Campaign Material (ICM)

1. Title
The title must be clear and specific. Reading the title alone should be enough to give the readers what the
campaign is about.
2. Subtitle
In some cases, ICMs need subtitles in order to provide additional details and expound on the title. This is
especially necessary when the title is brief for impact and design purposes.
3. Main Graphic Elements
Effective ICMs are attention grabbing. This is often done through bold and interesting graphics.
4. Supporting Graphic Elements
Pictures, graphs, icons, and other graphic elements help enlighten the reading load in ICMs.
5. Core Information
Basic information should be included in order to give the audience a clearer idea about the IC. This should lead
them to read the additional details within the ICM.
6. Plan of Action
As a result of reading the ICM, the audience should be given a specific and doable action or sets of action. This is
what the campaign is all about.
7. Organizing Group
The audience should know the organizations and individuals in charge of or spearheading the campaign.
8. Contact Information
The audience should also know the different means with which to reach the organizers in case of inquiries and
comments.
9. Details
Details and additional information are often necessary especially the campaign steps to take, detailed
information about an event or an object, and other similar campaigns.

Important factors in Creating the ICM

1. Purpose
Not all campaign materials are the same. The first step is to determine the purpose of the campaign. Is it an
invitation to an event? Is it an explanation of a phenomenon or a situation? Is it a warning against a specific
situation or condition? Is it for children? Is it for the general public? Determining the purpose first helps in later
determining the content and design of the ICM.
2. Audience Specific
The ICM is, first, for the audience, and not for the ICM creators. Therefore, all details in designing the ICM
should bear the audience in mind. The language, jargon, style, color scheme, and layout among others, of an
ICM should reflect for whom the ICM is intended.
3. Impact
ICMs by nature operate on a limited time, attention, and space frame. It is very important for the ICM to be
interesting and memorable. This also means that all elements of your ICM are designed for maximum impact,
whether in terms of choice and order of contents and their presentation.
4. Accuracy
The contents of the ICM should be accurate both editorially and factually.
5. Simplicity
Simplicity is important in design. Again, due to the nature of ICM, the simpler and more direct the ICM and its
elements, the easier it is for the audience to understand it, and the more effective it becomes.
 Official Communication: Marketing Material

What is a Marketing Material?

A marketing material is an official document, physical or digital (such as webpage) that is published to represent the
specific interest of the company or organization. In the corporate and business context, that marketing material serves
as a promotional tool to persuade the audience to buy the products or services of the company. In the technical and
academic context, the marketing material serves as an information platform to briefly outline the contents of a technical
document.
Types of Marketing Material
There are many types of marketing materials. Depending on the purpose and scope, the marketing material may come
in the following basic types:
1. Webpage
Using the internet as a platform for your marketing material is the most effective and efficient way especially is the
product, service, of information is intended for a wide and global market. Promotions for hotels, beach resorts, or
academic conferences of international prestige are all ideal for internet-based material, while localized events
whose audience are specific to a small community may not benefit much from this.
2. Poster
Posters are ideal as a community-based marketing material when the information disseminated is intended to a
geographically-confined group of people. Moreover, since posters have limited space and are meant for quick pass-
by reading, visual design is a high-priority and the content should be strategic and focused. Posters are ideal for
musical concert, film screening, lectures, workshops, and other similar announcements.
3. Brochure
Brochures are perfect as an extended and more comprehensive platform of information. The main/outer page often
serves as the overview page, containing only the title and a dominant picture or graphic element. The inner pages
are often dedicated to provide the specific contents, whether these are details about the products, list of lecturers
and lectures or sections of the technical report.
4. Business Cards
As a type of marketing material, nothing is more fundamental as the business card. It is a staple of any organization
and contains all the important information about the organization such as the name, type of service or products
offered, and contact information.

Principles of an excellent and effective Marketing Material

1. Simplicity
A marketing material must be clear and simple. It may contain basic or sophisticated design elements, but the most
important thing is that it should be easy for the audience to understand what the material is all about.
2. Information flow
The layout and the general design principle should make sure that the reader is thoughtfully guided from one
information or cluster of information to another. Whether it uses a traditional (balanced) or dynamic layout reading
the material should be intuitively pleasant.
3. Graphic element
Too much copy is tiresome and boring for the readers. Photography, illustrations, cartoons, charts, tables, and so on
must be used strategically to maintain the interest of the readers.
4. While space
It is often tempting to maximize all the space for content, but an excellent marketing material effectively uses white
space to frame the contents on the page and to provide a visual despite for the reader.

The Best Way To Make Flyers and Posters

The human eye takes in and processes a multitude of information every minute. When you decide to create a flyer or
poster, make it stand out from the many others people see on a daily basis. Take a few basics into consideration to
design eye-catching and effective flyers and posters.

Font
 Regardless of what you are promoting or selling, make sure your font is easily seen and legible. Opt for Times
New Roman (a clear serif typeface) or Arial (an easy-to-read sanserif typeface) in bold. Cursive fonts are difficult
to read and prevent your audience from understanding what it is you want them to know. Make your letters big
enough so that they can be seen from a reasonable distance. Apply a shadow around your font to attract
attention to the message. If it is handwritten, put enough spacing between each letter to avoid congestion of
words.
Color
 White is the best background color for flyers and posters. It is also the most professional and gives the cleanest
look. If you want to be creative with color, do so with the font. You can quickly grab attention with a bold red or
an intense green. Try using two or more colors for an upbeat theme or stick to black and navy blue for
professional tones. Avoid yellow or pale colors on white surfaces, which translate poorly on paper and are
 difficult to read. Avoid black poster board. Unless used for intentional effect, black is easily overlooked and limits
color creativity.
Order
 If you are promoting a business, always have the name printed on the very top of your flyer or poster. You can
play around with how you want to present your business name. Some companies simply put their business logo
on a advertisement, which most people associate with its product or services. For example, Facebook’s logo is
simply a white lowercase ‘f’ on a light blue background. If your business name has already established a visual
reputation with the public, do the same with your logo.

If you are introducing a new business, print the entire business name along with the logo. Directly underneath
your business name, list your products and services in list or bullet form. Keep each line short, using just a few
words. Avoid paragraph form at all costs. The idea is to present information in short bursts. Potential customers
should be able to glance at your advertisement and immediately know how it can help them.

Provide contact information at the bottom of your poster or flyer. Print contact information in a different font,
size, or color to make it stand out from the rest of your information.

Less is More
 The key in getting the message across is to keep it short, concise and clean. A typical flyer or poster should have
no more than 75 words. Use images instead of words if possible.

Famous Business Tag Lines

Among the distinguishing characteristics of a successful business is a memorable tag line. A well-written tag line
can increase brand awareness and create a “must-have” mentality in targeted consumers. The most famous
business tag lines are short and catchy and evoke a company’s product and services in a clever way.

Food and Drink

There are a number of famous taglines used by food and drink companies, including pet food businesses.
Purina’s Alpo dog food used the tag line “Doesn’t your dog deserve Alpo?” in commercials from 1980s. 7-Up
used the tag line “The uncola” to distinguish itself from Coca-Cola and Brim used “Fill it to the rim with Brim”.
Budweiser is “The king of beers”, Burger king lets you “Have it your way”, Cheez-Its advises you to “Get your
own box”, Coca-Cola wants us to “Have a Coke and a smile”, Hebrew National says “ We answer to a higher
authority”, regarding the quality of its hot dogs, Kentucky Fried Chicken is “Finger-lickin’ good”, Lay’s says
“Betcha can’t eat just one”, about its potato chips, Lucky charms are “ Magically delicious”, and Pepsi is “The
choice of a new generation”.

Car and Motorcycle Companies

Famous car maker and motorcycle tag lines include Lexus’s “Relentless pursuit of perfection”, BMW’s “Ultimate
driving machine”, Chrysler’s “Inspiration comes standard”, Chevy’s “Like a rock”, Acura’s “The road will never be
the same”, Volkwagen’s “Drivers wanted”, Harley Davidson’s “ American by birth, rebel by choice”, Kawasaki’s
“Let the good times roll”, and Honda Motorcycle’s “You meet the nicest people on a Honda”.

Credit Card Companies

A number of credit card companies feature memorable business tag lines. American Express has used “Don’t
leave home without it”, and “My life, my card”. Other famous tag lines include capital One’s “What’s in your
wallet?”, Citi’s “Citi never sleeps”, MasterCard’s “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else
there’s MasterCard”, and Visa’s “It’s everywhere you want to be”.

Airlines, Insurance and Computer

Famous tag lines of airline companies include Southwest Airlines’ “You are now free to move about the
country”, and “Bags fly free”, American Airlines’ “Something special in the air”, and “We know why you fly”,
United Airlines’ “Fly the friendly skies”, and Delta Airlines’ “You’ll love the way we fly”, and “Delta gets you
there”. Among the famous insurance company tag lines are Allstate Insurance’s “You’re in good hands”, E.F.
Hutton’s “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”, State Farm’s “Like a good neighbour, State Farm is there”,
MetLife’s “Get Met, it pays”. Memorable computer company tag lines include Apple’s “Think different”, IBM’s
“Solutions for a small planet”, Intel’s “Intel inside”, and Dell’s “Easy as Dell”