Technical Writing + Service Design

Today I’ll share one of those accidental discoveries that often transforms the effectiveness of technical documentation and instructional aids. I have learned that technical writers can increase their impact by working closely with service designers, and here I’ll share how their collaboration can enhance the effectiveness of technical user aids and lower support costs.

This post is the first of a series in which I’ll share examples of how I have used service design and technical writing together.

Odd Bedfellows, Wonderful Music

Imagine a UX designer that is not restricted to one interface or device...

While technical writing has been recognized as a practice since the 1940s, service design is a much newer discipline that continues to gain recognition in the USA. It has been practiced in Europe much longer.

I’m sure you know what UX designers do; you undoubtedly interact with their work all day long. Let’s say that UX designers conduct all phases of design for their interface/application/device. Now imagine a UX designer that is not restricted to one interface or device: service designers design services that support user workflows among multiple digital and analog touchpoints. 

In a way, each of us has a “workflow” that may be defined as a series of interactions with people, devices, and objects and their interfaces. So, service designers apply design methods to support workflows however they happen.

In most cases, technical writers’ mission is to write documentation and instructional aids to enable users to understand and use “technical” products or services. Technical writers get their assignments from management, and their products are often mandated by law.

Here is where service design adds breakthrough value. Service designers discover what users really want and need to succeed with the product, service, or process. And users may be better served by different aids (touchpoints) than the online help or manuals that are traditionally produced. This is especially true today when new devices or mobile capabilities change user work habits constantly.

Examples of Technical Writing and Service Design Working Together

When you staff your user/customer enablement projects with technical writers and a service designer, you can discover what people really need, so technical help materials have more impact, and support costs fall. Here are some examples:

• Our team was tasked with writing technical documentation for financial controls, but we discovered that users wanted videos! We used video to “front end” technical documentation to introduce users to detailed instruction.
• The enterprise wiki was growing as the system of record for technical documentation and instructional aids, but it was a garden without a gardener. We used service design projects to bring innovative design to the wiki, and users raved and used the documentation much more effectively.
• We used a service design project to research and design standardized technical editing services for complex financial controls. These services boosted efficiency and lessened the need for additional technical writing staff.
• To drive adoption of complex testing and release management controls, we conducted a full life cycle service design project to design an integrated “onboarding service ” that included technical documentation, training, online support, and tutoring. Our onboarding service was used by software and management teams worldwide.

The Use Case Series

1. Cohesive onboarding service to support enterprise software teams to adopt new financial controls and workflows.
2. Onboard volunteer team to provide individual support to software teams in implementing financial controls worldwide.
3. Redesign technical documentation platform using service design and technical writing skills.