Proper Tools of a Technical Writer
Any employee is a tool that can achieve good results if used correctly, namely, to motivate, set tasks, and adequately manage their execution. From this point of view, technical writers are similar to a system administrator or a programmer. A technical writer, like a designer, needs to be integrated into the team to get the desired result. Moreover, it is necessary to “customize” the workflow or instead give him the essential tools.
Although there are few technical documentation development environments globally, many companies continue to insist on using what they think is a universal tool — MS Word. But for a technical writer and the subsequent use of the results of his work, such versatility is questionable. Of course, it allows you to get formatting, but there is more to just typing in the work of a tech writer.
Technical writers use a lot of supplementary tools, not just technical writing software. Here are a few such professional writing tools that organizations might consider for their staff. They are great tools that enhance and simplify the process of technical writing.
- Defect tracking systems. Such tools are primarily for software developers, but tech writers can also find them helpful. Cause it’s an excellent tool for managing projects and can be used to maintain an overview of technical documentation.
- Jira
- Bughost
- Trac
- Bugzilla
- etc.
2. Grammar check software. The first draft stage is not a place to worry about mistakes. After the document is ready, this useful tool will help perform a grammar analysis tool to catch errors.
- Grammarly
- Linguix
- Scribens
- WhiteSmoke
- etc.
3. Document creation software. This software typically integrates with word processing tools to simplify the user interface and allow for visually dynamic documents with charts, images, and custom fonts/logos. This software usually includes dynamic templates, versioning, integration with content-producing applications, analytics, workflow, and sometimes electronic signature integration.
- DocuSign
- PandaDoc
- Coda
- Proposify
- etc.
4. Help authoring tools. These solutions are geared towards helping teams write their documentation collaboratively and publish them on various mediums. Formats include web pages, PDFs, Word documents, printed manuals, and printed booklets. HATs usually have good support for images, which are often crucial in product manuals.
- ClickHelp
- AdobeRobohelp
- MindTouch
- etc.
5. Screen capture software. Such a tool allows tech writers to quickly capture screenshots of a selected region, window, or entire computer screen that can be saved as a graphics file. Screenshots in technical documentation are not just some pictures. Without them, it would be tough to comprehend the content in many cases.
- Lightshot
- ShareX
- Skitch
- Snagit
- etc.
6. Video-editing software. It depends on what kind of tech documentation you are about to prepare but sometimes you might be able to skip writing. For example, if you are preparing guides for your team on how to use particular software, you might find recording your screen with a guiding voice, way easier and also time-saving.
- Camtasia
- Adobe Premiere
- Loom
- CamStudio
- etc.
Technical content writing requires more than good writing skills. The right tools can make you better at what you do. If you’re using any of the tools listed above, feel free to share your impressions. If you have other suggestions for tools that make a technical writer’s work more effective, I’d love to see your recommendations.
Stay well!
Amrit.
“Follow the river and you will get to the sea.”
