Comments on: Technical Writing vs Instructional Designing – Is it really a tug of war?

By: Raju

Raju — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:13:32 +0000

Actually Technical Writers need to learn some instructional design. Right now, technical documentation has moved on from plain writing to content design / information development.

By: Kurt in USA

Kurt in USA — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:11:54 +0000

one more point I should add. I think it is less likely that a TW could work as an ID. I have actually seen that fail. But a TW is a very good candidate to become a good ID if they get ID training.

By: Kurt in USA

Kurt in USA — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:09:05 +0000

This was an interesting discussion to read through. I have worked in both areas, and also worked as a researcher into ID processes and instructional writing, and believe that the two professions have much overlap but are very different. Like in a Venn Diagram, you can find a large overlap area between TW and ID but also areas of no overlap. Instructional Designers often are tasked to design classroom or computer-based training which requires the use of learning objectives, consideration of interaction and learning theory, and development of test items. This is an area where TW are usually not asked to work. Technical Writers may sometimes be asked to write instructional manuals, and they may follow a similar systematic process of interacting with SMEs and working through try-outs of their materials with revisions. This is the area of overlap. But Tech Writers also may write user documentation and reference materials and even help with business writing for their technology clients. This is usually not the domain of ID.

What I think would be interesting though would be some type of ID certification for technical writing, that might help Instructional Designers get work as TWs, and might allow them to also improve the design of user manuals and tutorials.

By: Wiseandcool

Wiseandcool — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:44:17 +0000

Chill guys, whatever may come, these two professions are going to remain with their own unique individuality. Twins look alike, but they behave differently! Just because twins look similar doesnt mean anyone of the twins would be okay for a given task! A snow leopard and a leopard belong to same family but hey you cant expect them to change their habitat. May whatever be the outcome of this debate (if there is any!) the bottomline is that companies will continue to have twin A for job A and twin B for job B.

By: Steve Daniels

Steve Daniels — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:23:26 +0000

I agree with you totally! I have been an Instructional Designer for 12 years, and have been unemployed for 10 months. While I get a few interviews for Instructional Design jobs, I am completely ignored when I apply for a Technical Writing job. Part of my job has always been creating documentation for the training modules I create. Technical Writers write guides and instruction manuals for the software and processes, but the Instructional Designers write the manuals and job aids the trainers use to do the initial teaching. Many of the people using the software and processes wouldn’t understand the instruction manuals if they were not first trained from our modules and guides. Some of the Technical Writers consult our guides to write their documents. I don’t feel there is a difference.

By: Raju

Raju — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:22:49 +0000

Why are there less Instructional Designer jobs compared to Technical Writing jobs?

Is it because ID is a ‘rich mans’ indulgence…or in other words, is it something that big companies do, like Infy, Accenture, TCS, Deloitte…

By: John Araiza

John Araiza — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:39:30 +0000

One important difference that I haven’t seen mentioned is the application and understanding of adult learning theories. I was a technical writer for several years and I decided to transition to ID. One of my biggest obstacles was my lack of knowledge regarding adult learning. The main responsibility of an ID is to teach the learner. And to do this, you must know how the learner thinks, how they remember, and/or how they process information.

Technical writers do not really need to worry about how people learn. They are simply there to relay information. It is then up to the reader to process it.

By: Raju

Raju — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:48:04 +0000

Hi Archana,
If you see the posts above, the discussion has acquired this nature: Instructional Designers Vs Technical Writers rather than Instructional Design Vs Technical Writing. Let me start of with ‘comparing’ the professions and then ‘comparing’ the professionals!

Comparing the Professions:
Techwriting and Instructional Design cannot be compared. Stature wise Instructional Design is a vaster, more dynamic, and a more futuristic business objective/concept. ID is the ‘future’ of learning, training, organization development, and human development.
Tech writing is more user assistance, user information. It can also be sales writing in terms of marcom. Its business objective is to provide ‘help’, ‘information’, ‘erudition’ to users.

Comparing the professionals:
Instructional Designers can easily become tech writers if they know, understand, and like technology, and are good at writing ‘accurately’. IDs have excellent writing abilities because the profession demands so. Tech Writing is domain dependent. In some domains like telecoms, networking, embedded systems etc you have to be ‘purely’ technical. In tech writing, the ‘writing style’ is very important. Each sentence one writes should be as perfect as a code syntax.Tech writing follows these principles for each sentence:
- Most simple
- Least worded
- Most comprehensive in meaning

Tech writers can become IDs if they have a creative bent of mind, and know how to apply learning principles into the deliverables.

So actually even the professionals cannot be compared as well! because one can do the other, although I do believe IDs have to have more ‘principle’ knowledge.

By: Natalie Laderas-Kilkenny

Natalie Laderas-Kilkenny — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:56:21 +0000

Rupa! Thanks for opening up this intense yet interesting debate. I think the points discussed here really needed a place where they can be expressed. I am learning a lot not only from your post but from the opinions shared here. Thanks again! It’s easy for us to get defensive of our positions especially in a world where leadership may not completely understand the importance of what we do. I do think that some companies and hiring managers misunderstand the roles and they need to be educated. I do believe that when you have a well-oiled team with an ID, Graphic Designer, Tech Writer, and a Developer you can work magic but for many of us such a “dream team” is not a reality. I’ve often wondered if companies or even organizations within companies could share people resources interchangeably… but that could very well be a logistical nightmare. I’m not sure.

By: Yamini

Yamini — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:19:27 +0000

Rupa, I admit that it’s an ongoing war. War of the Worlds )
Your topic made me join the community?

Well, I have come across a similar situation- hiring managers fixing the pay scale based on the relevant experience. I often wonder how tech writing experience/skill is considered irrelevant for an ID?

Some of my thoughts on this topic:

- In Instructional designing, writers concentrate more on creating a visual impact and grabbing learner’s attention. I think the fact behind it is the competition that prevails. Out of N number of courses/ training material on the same topic, an ID needs to make sure the learner picks this material. An ID needs to play an effective role here. Incase of a user manual, I feel this competition doesn’t prevail (other than the competition for the product itself). If a user buys a product, he has to go with the manual that comes along with it. So the technical writers needn’t focus more in this area (this doesn’t mean creativity is not required in writing a manual).

-In technical writing, writers focus on being more crisp and concise. As end-users we always have the tendency to flip through the pages of the manual and quickly get an answer to the problem. So in most cases analogies or examples aren’t recommended. But it’s not the case with a training material.

- As you rightly said IDs need not understand technology is a myth. IDs get SME help when it comes to writing a technical course. But without having basic technical knowledge, it would a tough job for an ID to come with an effective learning solution.

And, both the professions need Creativity and Innovation, which is the key to success. I feel a blend of both the skills definitely helps.