34 The Two-Pronged Approach To Technical Writing

Content                                                                 Format/Design

Word choice                                                                            Headings/Subheadings

Sentence structures                                                                 Bulleted lists

Paragraph length                                                                     Paragraph types

Grammar/Usage                                                                      Clean copies

Clarity                                                                                     The big 3: BIU

Specific details                                                                        Graphics

Order of information                                                              Single space/double space

Both content and design should be directly related to audience awareness: how is your audience going to use the document; how much does your audience already know about the document; how does your audience feel about the document?

Both content and design will be directly related to the type of document required. A press release will look much different than a newsletter summary and should have a totally different purpose/response.

The same holds true for:

• Instructions/Process Description;
• Letter of Inquiry/ Letter of Application;
• Business Letter/Memorandum, etc.

Think about what you say in a professional document and about what the document looks like.