October/November 2006

Volume 47, Number 2

President's Corner

by Deb Lockwood

One of the most common questions I get from people is, “What do you do for a living?” When asked that question, I find myself in a quandary. My self-talk starts out with: “How technical is this audience? Does he or she know software? How shall I frame the response: literally or allegorically? Would a ‘for instance’ story work best?”

By the time I’m done with my self-talk conversation and I open my mouth to respond, the person who asked has usually moved on to a conversation with someone else and is probably thinking, “Well, whatever she does, it’s too bad that she can’t put two words together and actually speak.”

In my attempts to explain what a technical communicator does, I’ve used the following descriptions with various degrees of success:

“I translate complex information into a form my audience can understand.”
“I write training materials.”
“I write instructions.”
“I write the software manuals that you use to prop open your door.”
“I’m a writer.”

Telling someone I’m a writer, however, usually begs the question, “Ooo—do you write novels?” When I attempt to elaborate, I normally get a “Hmm…” in response, followed by a quizzical expression—at which time I launch into one of my other descriptions. It’s a pretty deflating experience, and I’ve found it to be quite the conversation killer. The good news for me is that I have recently discovered a different tactic.

In September, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced their 2006 MacArthur Fellows. The MacArthur Foundation awards, commonly referred to as “genius awards,” consist of a $500,000 grant. All recipients “are selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to be significant contributors in their fields. Fellowships are awarded to women and men of all ages and at all career stages, illustrating concretely that extraordinary creativity knows no boundaries and is not constrained by time, place and endeavor.” One of this year’s award recipients is David Macaulay, a technical communicator.

Macaulay is an architect, author, and illustrator of many books including the following award-winners: The New Way Things Work, Mosque, and Cathedral. His work is used by adults and children alike as they attempt to understand complex systems. PBS has produced video interpretations of several of his projects.

On September 19, 2006, Steve Hartman of CBS News interviewed Macaulay and in that interview, Macaulay said, “I think of myself as an explainer, as a visual explainer of things that interest me.”

“Whoa,” said she, “is this the answer to my dilemma? Is a technical communicator an explainer?” Dictionary.com defines the word “explain” in the following way:

1. to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible: to explain an obscure point.
2. to make known in detail: to explain how to do something.
3. to assign a meaning to; interpret: How can you explain such a silly remark?
4. to make clear the cause or reason of; account for: I cannot explain his strange behavior.

I really think that Mr. Macaulay is on to something here. Let’s see:

1. Macaulay explains the intricacies of a range of things, from zippers to nuclear reactors, by deconstructing their essentials and relaying those essentials in a format the audience will understand. I explain the intricacies of software applications by deconstructing their essentials and relaying those essentials in a format the audience will understand. Check.
2. Macaulay includes scenarios in his work, which gives the reader the context in which the item is used. I include scenarios in my work for essentially the same reason: to give my readers the context in which he or she would use the software or the process. Check.
3. Macaulay uses ample illustrations (drawings) to demonstrate his examples. I use ample screen shots and workflow diagram graphics to demonstrate my examples. Check again.

I do believe I may have found my answer to the “What do you do for a living?” question. The next time I’m asked, I will reply with my new, cogent response. Like David Macaulay, we are all explainers!

For more information about the MacArthur Foundation and the award recipients, see http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.1074781/k.D7EC/In_Focus.htm.