Krista Chesal, Content Solutions Specialist

After years in technical writing, I’ve started to explore UX writing and content design. These fields feel like natural evolutions of the documentation work I’ve been doing, but with exciting new aspects. 

Two experiences are shaping my perspective. I’ve been reading Don Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things”. This book is amazing. Norman’s insights about affordances, signifiers and mental models have dramatically expanded how I see the relationship between users and products. Now I can see that the documentation challenges that I’ve tackled for years aren’t just communication problems, they can be symptoms of design issues that could be addressed earlier in the product lifecycle. 

Norman’s idea, that design is communication, really resonates with my experiences in publishing and technical communication. 

Inspired, I started the Google certificate in UX design from Coursera. While it’s fun to learn for it’s own sake I need the achievement dopamine while I determine my next steps. The ideas: the structured approach to research, ideation and testing are truly compelling. It’s a different way to frame many of the new insights I’m gaining.

What strikes me most in this initial part of my exploration is how my technical writing background has already equipped me with crucial skills for UX content design: understanding complex systems, translating technical concepts for varied audiences and advocating for clarity and usability. The technical writer’s obsession with precise, meaningful language turns out to be directly applicable to crafting intuitive user flows and interfaces. 

I’m curious, has anyone else made a similar transition? If so, what skills from your previous role proved most valuable in UX? And for those working at the intersection of content and design, what resources would you recommend as I continue this professional evolution?