Writing Technical Descriptions

1. TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTIONS
Introduction

2. OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
Identify the purpose of
technical descriptions
Recognize the two main
types of description
Identify the elements of a
good technical description
Identify ways of being
objective

3. WHAT ARE TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTIONS?

4. Like definitions, descriptions answer the
question ‘what is it?’ but give additional
information to help readers visualize what’s
being described.
shape
materials
function
operation
?size

5. MAIN TYPES OF
DESCRIPTION2

6. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Describes what the item is like.

7. For people who want to use…

8. PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Describes how something works.

9. For people who want to
know how…

10. Elements of a
GOOD DESCRIPTION

11. TITLE
Clear and limiting

12. The title should promise exactly what the
description will deliver.

13. How BMW’s Anti-Lock
Braking System Works.
BMW- Safety First!
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14. DETAIL
Appropriate level of

15. Give enough detail to convey a clear
picture but don’t burden the reader
with unnecessary information.

16. You need to identify:
• your audience
• their reason for using the description

17. low detail
high detail

18. VISUALS
Illustrative

19. Use drawings, diagrams and
photographs with captions and labels
that help users understand what they
are looking at.

20. Avoid verbal and visual clutter.

21. SEQUENCE
Appropriate and Clear

22. SPATIAL
what it looks like

23. •Used when we want readers to
visualize a static item.
•A part of all physical descriptions.
1.
2.
4.
5.
3.

24. FUNCTIONAL
how it works

25. 3.
2.
4.
1.
•Used in describing a mechanism/
device in action.
•Reflects the order in which the
parts function.

26. CHRONOLOGICAL
the time at which things happen

27. 1.
3.
2.
4.
5.
•Used to describe a process
•Also used to describe an item when it needs to be
visualized in the order in which its parts are assembled.

28. OBJECTIVITE
How to be

29. USE
PHOTOGRAPHIC
LANGUAGE

30. help the reader visualize
the item being described

31. BE PRECISE

32. Use high information words that
enable readers to picture the item.

33. •use exact measurements.
•specify locations and positions with
words like ‘above’, ‘behind’ and ‘adjacent’,
‘horizontal’ and ‘parallel’
•Use correct names

34. The volume controls are conveniently placed.
The two volume controls are located on the left hand side of the
handset approximately 28 mm from the top. The two buttons are
horizontally aligned, parallel with the ‘silent’ switch.
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35. SUMMARY
the purpose of technical
descriptions
two types of technical
description; product and
process
elements of a good
description
how to be objective

36. END OF LESSON