With the increasing role of computers in our everyday lives, information has become a vital component in the day to day activities of the average person. We share information constantly; we create new information for dispersal, and we absorb information created by others. The computer is the intermediary by which this sharing is able to occur, and the ways information is exchanged between the user and the computer is as complex and important as information exchanges between two people. For this reason, individuals who specialize in human-computer interaction (or HCI) are critical links in the hardware/software development chain. Through HCI, the field of technical communication is undergoing incredible growth and development. As a student of technical communication, my primary focus is in this interaction between man and machine.
A technical communicator must be skilled in multiple facets of communication to perform to their fullest. They must have a thorough grasp of written communication and the ways in which clear and effective writing and organization improves the user experience. They must understand basic design principles, and how the application of those principles to a variety of documents and media types can make or break the effectiveness of visual communication. They must know their user and, through a comprehensive understanding of the user's abilities and needs, make the choices necessary to create a product well tailored to the user. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a technical communicator must know the significance of the computer and digital communication in today's world, and they must be able to use the related tools (such as desktop publishing and online communication) to reach their goals. I feel that all of my projects in the TC field, even those which do not directly relate to HCI, help to inform my future HCI work by developing this set of critical skills.
Examples of my writing, such as the design rationale and laboratory report in my portfolio, show that I am able to write effectively for an audience with varied experience regardless of whether the topic is design-related or technical in nature. More visually oriented projects, such as my marketing poster and my website's design treatment, illustrate my command of design principles. I understand the delicate balance necessary to create a product that is visually stimulating (to a degree appropriate for its purpose) while not detracting from the core written information that the visuals are meant to support. My sample design rationale shows how I am able to analyze the audience of a given project and determine the best way to address its needs through my work. Ultimately, I feel that my portfolio as a whole displays my possession of the final critical skill, as I have met every communication challenge using the latest tools and online communication is a key component of my work.
My goal as I move forward with my education and eventual career is to work with the development of novel HCI technologies. I feel that my skills as a materials scientist coupled with my technical communication expertise place me in a unique position to work on the increasingly indiscernible point where the human ends and the computer begins.