---
title: "Podcast – Transitioning from Technical Writing into Usability"
date: 2008-04-02
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2008/04/02/podcast-transitioning-from-technical-writing-into-usability/
---
# Podcast – Transitioning from Technical Writing into Usability
**Listen here:**

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/apple_podcasts.png)](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id-rather-be-writing-podcast/id277365275)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/watchonyoutubeblack.png)](https://www.youtube.com/@idratherbewriting)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/spotify.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/4HeOZfPGMMfViOhVS40QBD)

In this podcast, I talk with Theresa Putkey, a usability consultant in Vancouver, about how she transitioned from technical writing into usability. This is part II of the previous conversation with Theresa.

Learn more about Theresa [by reading her blog.](http://www.keypointe.ca/) You can also read Theresa's [articles on Boxes and Arrows](http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/using-technical). 

### Topics in this Podcast

In this podcast, we talk about the following:

- How to move into usability

- Designing user interfaces

- Contributing towards usability on project teams

- Compelling reasons to transition from technical writing into usability

- Whether applications can be so intuitive that they never need manuals

- Conjectures to the question -- Will technical writers ever be extinct?

- Making content more findable in search

- Tagging topics with concept keywords to increase their search rating

- Harnessing related topics, concept keywords, and synonyms for search results

- Browsing in the table of contents versus relying on search to find content

- Making content findable in large projects (such as those with 3,000+ topics)

- Using card sorts to determine user terms for topic names

- Using focus groups to gather terminology and function lists from users

- Usability consultant versus technical writer -- preferences, purposes, and job satisfaction

- Whether technical writing is only a transitional field

- Defining different categories within user experience: interaction design, graphic design, programming/web designer and programmer, information architecture (designing information spaces)

- Creating navigation that people can use to find information

- Expanding beyond user interface when it comes to usability

- The Information Architecture Institute (IA Institute)

- Content Management Professionals

- IXD, Interaction Designers Group

- Human Factors Group

- Vancouver User Experience Group (VanUE)

- Organizations and professional groups for usability

- Choosing your career -- technical writing or usability?

- Teambuilding, including everyone, and communicating regularly

- Building relationships in your company (the key to success)

- Collaboration, teambuilding, and communication -- breaking down silos across departments

- Techniques for bringing people together (the importance of the watercooler)

- The paradox of making friends and winning people to your side

**Note: **Ever wonder why I make such an extensive list of topics covered? Audio doesn't have keywords like blog posts, so people who search for them on Google never find the audio unless I saturate the show notes with relevant keywords.