---
title: "Podcast: Living Multiple Lives – The New Technical Communicator, Interview with Noz Urbina"
date: 2008-05-11
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2008/05/11/podcast-living-multiple-lives-the-new-technical-communicator-interview-with-noz-urbina/
---
# Podcast: Living Multiple Lives – The New Technical Communicator, Interview with Noz Urbina
**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)

[![Noz Urbina](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/noz_urbina1.jpg)](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/2008/05/noz_urbina.jpg)

In this podcast, Noz Urbina talks about how Web 2.0 is changing the role of the technical communicator into one who drives product R&D and interaction design. My discussion with Noz was a light-bulb moment for me at the Doc Train West conference. 

Podcast topics include the following:

- How the role of the technical communicator has evolved into a diversity of roles

- How awareness of user needs and requirements allows technical communicators to get involved in product R&D and user interaction design

- How implementing a backwards flow of data from hundreds of internal and external users changes the role of a technical writer to one who aggregates, synthesizes, and ensures quality rather than one who merely writes

- How the technical communicator becomes the keyholder on the pipeline of customer data, which in turn allows the technical communicator to direct and define the product

- How to encourage a culture of participation through surveys and other user interviews

Noz is a business development manager for [Mekon](http://mekon.com/). He's also heavily involved in [X-pubs.com](http://x-pubs.com/), a nonprofit conference and information resource that produces seminars, online events, white papers, and annual conferences.

To contact Noz, send an email to [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7d13120753080f1f14131c3d1018161213531e1210)