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.