Developing Communication

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Developing Communication
a report must be put together with as much care
as a precision instrument. Ernest M. Cohn,
Approaches to Scientific Writing Form follows
function. Louis Sullivan, architect
Analyze Audience, Purpose, Context, Goals
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Successful Writing Is Useful

• It achieves your goals
• It achieves your audiences goals . . .
• for information
• for action
• for ease of use
• It adapts content, organization, language, style,
  and design to audience needs

3
We Write What We Know

• In conducting the research for this project, I
  first went to the library and searched the
  catalogue for material on biosensors. I found
  several books listed in the catalogue, but only
  two of those were helpful. I then talked to the
  reference librarian about where else to look. She
  pointed me to the relevant databases and showed
  me how to search on-line. My initial search
  yielded 10,624 sources, so I narrowed my topic to
  biosensors for detecting glucose levels in
  diabetics, and have found 14 current articles
  that seem helpful. I still have about 30
  abstracts to review to complete this portion of
  the literature search.

4
Instead of What Readers Need

• I have completed 75 of my research.
• Based on the information found to date, I have
  narrowed the topic to biosensors for detecting
  glucose in Type I diabetics. Thus far, my
  research has yielded
• 2 texts covering the history and current use of
  glucose biosensors
• 7 articles dealing with potential new materials
  for these sensors
• 4 articles on the limitations of current sensors
• 3 articles on pilot studies of alternative
  sensing mechanisms
• Work Remaining By April 8, I will have reviewed
  and evaluated the remaining 30 articles found in
  my preliminary search.

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Analyze Your Audience Before You Write

• Key Factors
• Purpose what do they want to do?
• Learn
• Act
• Characteristics who are they?
• Responsibilities, Concerns, Motivations
• Contexts what circumstances influence them?
• Budget, Resources, Schedules, Relationships

• Key Decisions
• Content
• Organization
• Language/Tone
• Design

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Common Communications Tasks in Engineering Design

• Proposing projects
• Sell services and seek project approval
• Seek input from all parties to develop a workable
  plan
• Provide contract between engineers and clients
  regarding project deliverables, timelines, and
  costs

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Common Communications Tasks in Engineering Design

• Documenting work
• Provide a legal record of all steps
• Insure that everyone on the project team is on
  the same page
• Record design ideas, alternatives, decision
  rationales, and related information to justify
  actions
• Record all necessary data and methodologies

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Common Communications Tasks in Engineering Design

• Providing periodic updates
• Maintain open communication between parties
• Enable decision-making on the part of clients
  (e.g. payment in phases)
• Enable decision-making on the part of team
  members
• Enable team members to make decisions (design
  ideas, next steps)
• Enable managers to make decisions (personnel,
  time, money)

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Common Communications Tasks in Engineering Design

• Summarizing final results
• Make persuasive recommendations
• Summarize final designs for others to act (build,
  buy, implement)
• Provide a written record for legal accounting
• Contribute to ongoing knowledge (research)

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What makes communication successful?

• Its not about you!
• Content addresses the needs, interests, and key
  concerns of the audience.
• Why is this information here?
• Organization gives the audience what they need in
  the order they need it.
• Why is this information here?

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What makes communication successful?

• Design makes the information easy for the
  audience to access.
• Where is this information?
• Style makes the information easy for the audience
  to read or absorb.
• What in the world does this mean?