Turning complex technical information into documents readers can understand and act on. Making technical knowledge accessible through clear structure and precise language.
Technical writing is the ability to document complex information from fields like software, hardware, science, and engineering for a specific audience and purpose. It's not just about writing well. You need to analyze who your readers are, organize information logically, use terminology consistently, and place visuals effectively. From API references and user manuals to organization-wide documentation systems, technical documents have distinct growth stages based on scale and complexity.
You're taking your first steps into the world of technical documentation. It starts with practicing short, clear sentences. You learn the difference between active and passive voice and build the habit of putting one piece of information per sentence. Using a basic documentation tool (e.g., Markdown), you can write simple technical records like meeting notes, work logs, and memos.
What Comes Next
If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Document Organizer stage, where you'll use headings, lists, and tables to structure documents and start analyzing your audience. The Google Technical Writing One curriculum shows that once you've built solid sentence-level clarity, the natural next step is learning to structure whole documents.
The only accredited certification in technical communication, with three tiers. Nine core competencies (project planning, analysis, content development, information design, etc.) serve as the primary basis for L2-L7 boundary design.
A free four-stage curriculum for developers worldwide. The progression from basics (sentences, lists) to intermediate (structure, tutorials) to accessibility to error messages directly informs the L1-L4 learning path.
Official occupational analysis from the U.S. Department of Labor: 10 core skills and 15 tasks with importance scores. Provides objective evidence for checklist coverage and task complexity distribution across levels.
The foundational paper on deliberate practice. Immediate feedback, target difficulty, and tacit-knowledge externalization provide learning-science grounding for acquiring technical writing expertise. Informs the training methodology in L3-L5 transition hints.
The de facto industry standard for technical documentation. Accessibility guidelines, bias-free communication principles, and Top 10 style principles provide authoritative grounding for L4-L6 industry-standard checklists.
