Technical Writing

Editors tell us that they encounter multiple problems when trying to present technical subjects. Sources in engineering departments can't clearly explain how their technology benefits end users. Sources in marketing departments can recite a list of benefits but can't explain in detail how those benefits are delivered by the technology. Staff tech writers sometimes understand the technology and the benefits but may lack the background needed to write unerringly when using technical terms. One common example we've observed is the use of "dampen" in place of "damp," as in, "The ergonomic grips dampen vibration." No, they don't. They damp vibration. Mistakes like this may go unnoticed by average readers but they undercut a publication's credibility with better-informed readers. (Sometimes an end run is the best solution. The grips "quell vibration" or "stop vibration" or "isolate the operator's hands from the machine's vibration.")

Then there's the problem of trying to deliver technical material that's also entertaining to read. Too much tech writing reads like MSDS material. MSDS are Material Safety and Data Sheets. By law they must accompany all hazardous materials and must be kept in a location where employees have access to them. MSDS information covers the safe handling and disposal of these hazardous materials and also covers first aid procedures should there be unintended contact with the material. The presentation is concise; the style is sparse. There's no room for entertainment when a vapor cloud is spreading through the plant or an employee needs to know how to neutralize a chemical before blindness occurs.

But entertainment is a requirement for good tech writing in consumer and trade publications. It makes the information "sticky" so that it stays with readers. It helps explain technical terms to non-technical readers. It differentiates your publication from your competitors' publications. It rewards readers for choosing your publication by providing added value. While the information you present may help readers choose the right lawnmower or understand the advantages of low-VOC paint, it's simply not as important as the imminent need to save lives or save sight. Since the intrinsic value of your material is lower than that of an MSDS, it's important to increase the perceived value in another way. A good read serves this purpose well.

If you need help presenting technical information in ways that are meaningful, understandable, and entertaining, we can help. Contact us today for more information.

Here's the opening we did for a 1,300-word article on a pumped storage facility:

You know how it is when a simple chore turns into a monumental undertaking. You set out to sharpen the knives and wind up remodeling the kitchen.

That's not quite how it happened to Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation of York, Pennsylvania when they set out to refurbish the Bath County (Virginia) Pumped Storage Station. They knew it would be a huge job. Still, the scope of work is cause for daily amazement among those involved. “No part of this job is small,” said Voith Siemens president E. Mark Garner, P.E. “No part is mundane. Even the simplest task requires our greatest skill.”

The concept of a pumped storage station isn't hard to understand. Demand for electricity is highest during the day and lowest during the night. Most power generating stations don't respond quickly to variations in demand, so they end up producing more power than is needed at night and operate at or near capacity during the day.

A pumped storage station helps flatten out these curves so that output more closely matches demand. A pumped storage station is situated on a hillside or mountain. It has three primary components: a lower water source, an upper water source, and a hydroelectric generating station situated between the two, near the bottom. The lower water source can be a stream. The upper source is almost always an impoundment or reservoir. At Bath County, both sources are impoundments.

During the night when there's excess electrical capacity from other power stations, electricity is supplied to the turbines in the generating station, turning them into giant pumps. They pull water from the lower source and pump it to the upper source. During the day when the other stations need some help in meeting demand, the water is released from the upper source. It flows back through the turbines to generate electricity.