Since there is no single word that describes the types of writing that fall under the technical writing umbrella, I’ve taken advantage of my constitutional and Web 2.0-sanctioned right to:
- Coin a single word — infowriting
- Assign a straightforward definition to this simple Web 2.0 word — writing that aims to get work done, to change people by changing the way they do things (Killingsworth and Gilbertson)
Infowriting is part art, part science, and all craft. It’s about managing data that has been stored, scribbled, or saved; crafting messages that get through; and keeping readers awake and engaged as they take in useful information. Infowriting is what I do, and my self-assigned mission is to make infowriting:
- More efficient, challenging, and rewarding for its practitioners
- More effective, readable, and useful for its readers.
Win-win.
