Every so often, something new comes along that completely alters the landscape of technical writing. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the last thing you’d probably have seen is a technical editor applying for a job at a software company. However, with most companies closed down or operating with reduced staff, the role of the technical editor is more important than ever.
What’s the next big thing in the field of technical writing that you’d like to learn? Does someone need your expertise now more than ever?
Augmented Reality
Back in April 2021, when the world was still struggling to come to grips with the pandemic, I gave a talk on ‘Augmented Reality in Technical Communications’ at the Radiocommunications Group (RADIOCOM) conference in Budapest, Hungary. At the time, the world was wondering how to make sense of all the emerging technologies that were changing daily life during the pandemic. What followed was a barrage of interest in my proposal. One of the attendees, Agnes Keizer, founded Augmented Reality Studio after the conference. The company builds mobile apps and website prototypes that use virtual reality and augmented reality to train and educate users.
How does virtual reality and augmented reality fit into technical writing? Let’s examine the definitions of these terms before looking at how they can be used in the context of technical documents.
Virtual Reality
In the past, you’d have had to spend lots of money on high-end computers and expensive headsets in order to enjoy virtual reality. Thanks to the development of affordable devices such as the google cardboard, the quality of virtual reality experiences has improved dramatically. Even without going overboard, you can still experience high-quality, 360-degree images that simulate walking around a city or touring an attraction.
To put it simply, virtual reality allows you to experience something that feels like reality but is more digital in nature. It’s like combining Skype with Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard.
There are so many amazing things you can do with virtual reality. You can tour a famous museum or gallery in London, walk through the Great Wall of China, or even swim with sharks in an aquarium (I’ve actually done all of these things, and they are all amazing).
As a technical writer, would you like to try out new things that could potentially inspire ideas for your own documents? How about trying out a virtual reality tour of an office building you’re currently working in? Or a walkthrough of an iOS app’s user interface? Or getting a peek at the inner workings of a complex mechanical device such as an airplane or a car? These are just some of the things you can do with a virtual reality headset and a laptop or desktop computer. The possibilities are endless!
Augmented Reality
Just like virtual reality, augmented reality also gets a lot of attention (and hype) at tech conferences and in Wired magazine articles. But, while virtual reality immerses you into the experience, augmented reality enhances it with graphical items such as images, videos, or other types of media.
Augmented reality can be used in a wide variety of contexts. You could enhance a museum tour with relevant information about the artist or the time period that is being presented. You could enhance an architectural walkthrough with images of the building’s interior. Or perhaps enhance a software instruction manual with screenshots, tips, and tricks for achieving the desired results.
How about trying out a hands-on tutorial on how to solder a wire to a board? Or how about having a look at what a completed robotic kit might look like? These are just some of the examples of how augmented reality can be used in the context of technical documents.
There are so many exciting things you can do with augmented reality. It’s basically a whole new medium that offers a glimpse at the possible. Who knows? Maybe in the near future, someone will develop a tool that will make creating technical documents much easier. Just like the shift from handwriting to keyboarding, this new medium will probably see more acceptance and usage as time goes on.