A technical brief helps you identify and organize important information, such as your reader profile and the writing and approval process.
Writing a technical brief
No matter what technical writing responsibilities you have, this Technical Writing Brief is the first step in the writing process.
Feel free to make a copy of this brief as you work on each new project. With just a little practice, it will help you write with confidence and competence, as well as save lots of time and frustration.
Many participants in the technical writing workshops I facilitate start by saying, “I don’t have time to fill out this out.” After working with it they say, “I don’t know how I ever got along without it.” Share it with your team; they’ll thank you!
About the Document
- Type of document
- Presentation context (Paper? Online? Streaming? Simulation? Combination?)
- Target date for completion
Learner Profile
- Who are the learners?
- Are they technical, nontechnical, or a combination?
- Are they internal (to your company), external, or both?
- Do you have multi-level learners?
- If so, what percentage are there of each?
- What do the learners need to know about the topic?
- What’s their level of the subject knowledge, if any?
- How do they process information?
- What jobs do they perform?
- What is their attitude toward the topic? (Positive? Neutral? Negative?)
Key Issues
What are the key issues to convey? (In order of importance.)
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
Budget
______________________________________
Project Team
Who’s who on the project team?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Milestones
Describe the milestones and list the anticipated completion dates.
Milestone Date
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Approval Cycle
What’s the approval cycle? (Start from the bottom up, with A being final reviewer.)
- ___________________________________________
- ___________________________________________
- ___________________________________________
- ___________________________________________
- ___________________________________________
Keep this handy. This a handy reference to keep on your computer, tablet, and smartphone. And remember to share it with your team!
