Ch. 20: Types of Technical Descriptions

• Understand the role of audience and purpose in technical description
• Descriptions are for people who will use, operate, assemble, or manufacture a mechanism
• Decide why the audience needs a description
• Differentiate between product and process descriptions
• Product description
• readers can visualize the parts of the mechanism and the relationship between them
• Process description
• readers can visualize the sequence of events
• Appreciate the requirement for objectivity in such descriptions
• Descriptions have ethical implications
• Subjective descriptions represent a point of view
• Objective descriptions represent details any one could observe
• Recognize the main components of a technical description
• Clear and limiting title
• Appropriate level of detail and technicality
• Visuals
• Clearest descriptive sequence
• spatial
• functional
• chronological
• Write a product and/or process description
• Product Description
• Introduction: general description
• Description and function of parts
• Conclusion and operating description
• Process Description
• Introduction
• Stages in the process
• Conclusion
• Write a set of specifications
• Specifications
• methods
• materials
• size, shape, and weight
• testing, maintenance, inspection procedures
• Consider audience and purpose
• Use industry and government standards
• Include a brief introduction/ descriptive title
• List all parts and materials
• Use standard terms
• Write a technical marketing document
• Research your decision makers so that you can persuade those who will purchase it
• Use the product's name frequently
• Compare and contrast to related products
• Emphasize the appeal
• Use dynamic language
• Use visuals
• Provide any technical information you need