The audience is key to understanding how to structure the information you want to communicate. There are two areas in technical writing which I’d like to contrast the type of audience. One is the pure technical instruction like assembly instructions, schematics, or CAD notes for a part, and the other is the technical narrative, like proposals, grants, and pitch decks.
I’ve written assembly instructions many times in the past. Now imagine if your instructions for assembling a coffee table started with how great it’s going to look the room, how stable it is and how well it will support your beverage of choice, coffee. Then the manufacturer proceeded to provide the following instructions for assembly:
Gather necessary tools.
Assemble to resemble the picture on the box.
Enjoy placing coffee on the table.
We’d probably all lose our cool and be returning the table, packing contents, and the instruction documentation to the place we purchased it. I’d even consider placing it in a structured pile in the yard and lighting it on fire.
The point is, an excellent set of instructions is going to include a list of required tools and a list of parts, so the user knows what they need to assemble them. Then the instructions will convey the order of assembly. Likely the glass top is the last part to be installed. The reader or audience of this content is looking strictly for clean, concise information to build their coffee table effectively—nothing more, nothing less.
Alternatively, in Proposal and Grant Writing, it is essential to draw the reader, and likely the funder, into the project. Understanding what information needs to be included with this type of technical writing is vital. Generally, RFPs and Grants have guidelines in which the document must meet, like budgets and timelines. Those two sections are strictly technical, clean raw information like the assembly instructions. It is still information that must be clearly communicated.
However, some sections describe the organization requesting the funds, the overall project, and what will be accomplished. These sections are essential to draw the reader into the narrative and advocate for your organization, project, and needs. In fact, I’d argue this critical to a successful award for a proposal or grant.
Telling the story of how the project will be completed creates excitement for a shared vision, developing empathy and belonging to the work that is being proposed. These sections should be clear and understandable to someone who might not have a technical background in a given subject. A competent technical writer should distill the requesting organization’s vision, mission, values, and project proposal into a meaningful narrative that aligns the project with the funders.
In both cases, the audience is different, trying to understand the essence of the information being communicated. If there is any doubt to the audience, the writer needs to take some time to research the intended audience. It will go a long way to ensure effective communication has occurred.
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