As technical writers, we notice a lot of things that other people do not. I tend to notice too much because I’m a little too detail-oriented for my own good. But this can help improve whatever product, service, etc. I am documenting.
Today, while driving to work, I noticed a small moving truck in front of me with a sign on the back. It said something similar to “Make sure to push the ramp in SLOWLY” (notice the all caps). Probably a great sign that someone took a lot of time to make and attach to the truck – but definitely in the wrong place.
I don’t know anything about truck ramps or even the correct terminology, but I can tell that if the ramp was out of the truck there is no way you could see the sign because it was directly below the ramp – see the elaborate Paint drawing below.
So after the truck driver quickly pushes the ramp into the bottom of the truck and it falls off (or smushes the kittens or elves living in the hole), only then does the driver see the sign and it’s already way too late.
These are the types of things I notice. It’s important for directions to be clear, in the right place, and in the right order – otherwise you never know what’s going to happen.
1 reply on “Paying Attention to the Details”
This is a really good point. One time i helped my uncle move from Walla Walla, Washington to West Hollywood, California and we rented a truck exactly like the one pictured. When he pushed the ramp in too fast, all the kittens and elves inside the hole that were living there got smushed. It made the long drive to West Hollywood very uncomfortable. He really loved that kitten.