How to write technical copy that makes sense

Most PR pros aren’t scientists, programmers or engineers.

Heck, most of us went into a language-based field because we aren’t that good at math.

But in your career, there will likely come a time when you have to explain a complex, technical product or process to a group of laymen.

Scary, isn’t it?

But what makes for good technical writing are the same things that make for good writing overall: clarity, simplicity and keeping your audience in mind. Combine that with a few tricks from the smarties at Stanford Engineering from Ragan Training’s library and you’ll be well on your way to writing technical material that makes sense to everyone.

Avoid ‘fancy words’

If you’re writing something that’s already complicated, give your readers a break by making the rest of the language around it as simple as possible. For example, Stanford recommends using “find out” instead of “ascertain,” “begin” instead of “commence,” and that old favorite, “use” instead of “utilize.”