Information and Visual Design

I think visual design and rhetoric will play increasing roles in the future of technical communication. Charles Kosteinick in his article, “The Rhetoric of Text Design in Professional Communication,” makes it clear that “while we adapt to the new technology, we need to assimilate visual language into our understanding of the communication process” (Kosteinick 189). This is a significant point by Kosteinick because with the increase in technology, there is going to be more complex information, and this information needs to be effectively communicated to specific audiences. Written text by itself will not always be sufficient in the communication process. Visual design is another critical tool in the toolbox that technical writers have to adapt to and take advantage of to better communicate complex material. Communication is not just about putting sentences together in a document. The presentation of the information must be effective.

Also, I think understanding visual and information design is a huge asset for a technical writer because visuals are universal. For the most part, visuals are understood on a global level. Illustrations on how to do something in an instruction manual can reach a much bigger audience than a text-only manual. In his article, “The Successes and Challenges of Visual Language,” Patrick Hofmann states that “with the dissolution of borders comes a need to communicate globally” (Hofmann 16). To communicate globally, part of a technical writer’s job is to take the time to put together effective visuals because according to Hofmann, “the main focus for creating wordless manuals was to save money, while maintaining a positive experience for the user” (Hofmann 17).  This is a key point in Hofmann’s article because I know when I read a set of instructions I try to figure out how something works first by looking at the pictures before I read the text. Sometimes, I skip reading the text all together. Visuals not only save organizations money in creating manuals, but more important, they save users time. In order to “maintain a positive experience for the user,” technical writers must realize that most people do not have the time to sit down and read an entire manual. Thus, Janice Redish makes an excellent point in her article, “What is Information Design?,” that “we are all going to need to understand both information and design and how they relate to each other even more in the future” (Redish 165). Incorporating visual design with the technical information will definitely make the user experience more enjoyable if technical writers take a considerate amount of time refining the visual aspects of their work.

I think it is important that technical writers do not underestimate the significance of visual rhetoric when writing because according to Kosteinick in his article, “whether visual language serves structural or stylistic functions, its rhetorical effect derives not only from intrinsic value qualities but from the reader’s previous perceptual experiences” (Kosteinick 200). This is an important concept by Kosteinick because readers have expectations about visuals in specific situations. Technical writers have to purposefully use visuals; otherwise interpreting visuals by the reader will be difficult. I agree with Hofmann when he says that “we devote an incredible amount of time to ensuring that our words effectively address their audience. We should do the same with our pictures” (Hofmann 18). Despite the challenges of producing visuals, utilizing visual design will play a big part in defining technical communication.