2022 Forecast For Technical Writers
by Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp — all-in-one help authoring tool
The recent years have shown us how things can change dramatically and unexpectedly. The long-term nature of the pandemic has changed customer needs and daily lifestyles. This fact changes how the world will look like in 2022 and beyond. Let’s review what trends to encounter in the sphere of technical communication in the coming year:
- Cloud computing in technical writing. Massive growth is expected in cloud computing. It dominates modern IT.
According to predictions from Gartner, global spending on cloud services is expected to reach over $482 billion in 2022, up from $314 billion in 2020.
Organizations and end-users are accustomed to SaaS (software-as-a-service) model. More advanced technical documentation tools have already made the transition to the cloud. So consider these tools if you want to keep up with the times.
2. More user-friendly writing tools. More tools for tech writers appears so they expect easy-to-use tools at work to make them perform better and faster. The tool has to be very easy to use, it should perform compliance checking on the fly, and provide insight into issues that the writer should focus on to improve the results.
3. Social media for more relevant content. The digital transformation continues, such channels as social media are on the rise and have proven to be vital communication tools. In the coming year, communication professionals should be in accord with their communities to provide content that is authentic and relevant to their interests — and social is at the epicenter of where these insights converge.
4. Internet security and privacy. As the world becomes more digital, we’re seeing an increased number of personal and organizational cyberattacks around the world. Businesses have become more vulnerable to destructive attacks, in part because of increased remote work given the pandemic. In 2022 the cyberattacks continue and the industry will take a variety of counteractive measures. The defense will include educating individuals so they can identify and avoid network assaults, A.I. will make cybersecurity protocols easier and less expensive to create and more effective than ever.
5. Global demand for standardized documentation. Most technical writing is targeted at an international audience. This creates many challenges that are best solved by STE (simplified technical English). More and more companies around the world identify the need for STE for documentation. Developing countries serve as the best-cost countries for outsourcing technical documentation. They recognize the need to improve their technical documentation. Of course, English-speaking countries still have the highest demand for STE. For native English speakers, it is also necessary to write simplified text. Their sentences tend to include sophisticated vocabulary that poses problems with understanding non-native audiences.
6. Prevalence of the robotics sector. Robotics in everyday life will be increased during 2022. Usage will include the health care, agriculture, automotive, warehousing, and supply chain management sectors, which will lead to more robotics-based automation that will continue to progress. Which means more technical documentation to write.
7. Content measurability. The companies that have technical writers want their content to be consistent and top quality. Methods to measure cost, quantity, and quality of content production are in demand with such companies. Measuring helps them improve performance, harmonize texts between different writers, increase customer satisfaction, and lower costs.
The global demand for Simplified Technical English keeps growing together with the demand for cloud computing, content measurability, and standardized documentation. While every industry is bound to be affected by technology trends that continue to emerge in the new year, those working in the field of professional communications stand to feel the impact of recent technological advances, developments, and use cases more than others.
Have a nice day!
Bradley Nice, Content Manager at ClickHelp.com — best online documentation tool for SaaS vendors