Technical English writing has a number of challenging goals. These include communicating information concisely, simplifying jargon, and displaying information in an easy-to-digest format. Fear not though, because technical authoring tools can help to simplify the process for technical writers.
Why use technical authoring tools?
Technical writers often have a variety of documents to produce content for, from user guides and manuals to website copy and design-led collateral. If a large team is needed to work on such projects, an additional challenge can be making sure that it’s easy to collaborate. Technical authoring tools can help manage content, make working in a team easier and allow easy adaptation of technical texts into simplified English.
In this blog, our language experts offer a guide to the best technical authoring tools around…
Adobe
What users like about it…
Adobe authoring tools are world-renowned. One of the frequent challenges for writers and designers is ensuring that technical writing and design documents can be provided in a widely-used format. Adobe is favoured by many across the globe making it the ideal option for larger teams where many written technical materials are needed. This can also help when translations are required.
Google Docs
What users like about it…
Google sheets are great for working collaboratively. Items can be edited by multiple authors and saved securely to the cloud. They allow writers to make real-time changes and work remotely, which is a real plus for technical writers in the current climate. They make a great all-round technical authoring tool for those needing to make sure sharing is hassle-free.
Microsoft Word
What users like about it…
This one may seem obvious to include, but Word has many tools that writers don’t always use to their advantage. Track changes can be beneficial in revisiting previous versions of content. It also lets other technical writers add suggestions that can be reviewed by the original author. Word’s suggestions for simplifying content as you write can be especially useful for those spending long hours writing extensive technical texts.
Miro mind map
What users like about it…
Any good content needs planning and organisation. Mind mapping is the art of visually arranging information. It can help technical writers strategise how they simplify technical content, outlining things to consider and remember. Sites like Miro mind map allow users to do this online, making it easy to save and convenient to access.
WordPress – Yoast
What users like about it…
This is a must have technical authoring tool for online content. WordPress is an easy-to-use content management system and the template used for many websites. The Yoast plug-in compatible with WordPress sites is also extremely useful for blog content and simplifying technical website writing. Yoast uses a traffic light system, alerting technical writers as to whether their copy is suitably optimised for SEO based on the chosen keywords.
Readable.com
What users like about it…
Readable is an extremely useful authoring tool for technical writers as it can help to counter one of the biggest challenges faced by technical writers – how to simplify content to make it understandable by those outside of the given sector. Readable indicates to technical writers how widely understood their content would be by the public, thus making it an invaluable tool.
Grammarly
What users like about it…
Useful for creative writers as well as those who need to use flare to convey complex information, Grammarly allows technical writers to organise writing feedback by theme. This authoring tool gives writers feedback based on how they want to sound and the tone of the writing. With much technical content being informative, this tool can help writers in the sector speak with authority and confidence while conveying important information.
Madcap Flare
What users like about it…
Designed specifically for advanced authoring based on specific topics, this is one authoring tool technical writers will want in their arsenal. The platform allows technical writers to create everything from manuals to user guides, which means it’s ideal for those who regularly work on a wide variety of content. The platform promotes itself as good for ‘maximising content reuse’ which makes it a good investment if you need to adapt pieces of text for a multitude of uses.
Windows snipping tool
What users like about it…
The research benefits of the Windows Snipping Tool are plentiful. As well as allowing users to quickly save information as it appears, it also offers screenshots in attachable format that can be sent between users. This saves technical writing teams a lot of time when sharing information that would otherwise be provided by sending URLs. Snipping Tool also allows screenshots of information to be collated in a single document for side-by-side comparison.
Gathercontent.com
What users like about it…
Rather than using multiple platforms for content management, Gathercontent.com allows users to create a seamless flow between content teams, clients and other teams within a business. Perfect for high output departments, this authoring tool makes the content sign-off process simple and efficient to manage. Great for those juggling multiple projects at one time.
To find out more about simplifying technical writing and perfecting management of your technical translations, please contact our industry experts today!