1. What is the value of Audience to Technical Communicators?: A Survey of Audience Research by: Rob Houser Presented to you by: Chris Trotta

2. Overview Introduction: What is audience? Introduction: What is audience? How has rhetoric treated audience? How has rhetoric treated audience? How has technical communication treated audience? How has technical communication treated audience? What is the value of information about audience? What is the value of information about audience? Concluding remarks / Application to technical writing Concluding remarks / Application to technical writing

3. Introduction: What is audience? Audience refers to the real and imagined users (readers) who use products (texts) to do something in their own environment. Audience refers to the real and imagined users (readers) who use products (texts) to do something in their own environment. The audience is the interpreters of our products (texts, www, etc) whose questions we attempt to anticipate. The audience is the interpreters of our products (texts, www, etc) whose questions we attempt to anticipate.

4. What is audience? The final part of the definition is the rhetorical situation, in which audiences interact with products (texts, etc) in their own environment. The final part of the definition is the rhetorical situation, in which audiences interact with products (texts, etc) in their own environment. This interaction produces influences on behavior, perception, and problem-solving strategy. This interaction produces influences on behavior, perception, and problem-solving strategy.

5. How has rhetoric treated audience? Classical: Audience was important, especially to Aristotle, who stated that three elements create a speech (speaker, subject, and audience). Classical: Audience was important, especially to Aristotle, who stated that three elements create a speech (speaker, subject, and audience). New: Audience became de-emphasized as considerations of style and arrangement became more important. According to this school of thought if writers followed the proper form then the audience was expected to respond favorably New: Audience became de-emphasized as considerations of style and arrangement became more important. According to this school of thought if writers followed the proper form then the audience was expected to respond favorably

6. How has rhetoric treated audience? Expressivist: Created in backlash to the restrictive rules-based approach of the New Rhetoric. This movement stated that the most important audience was the self. Expressivist: Created in backlash to the restrictive rules-based approach of the New Rhetoric. This movement stated that the most important audience was the self. Neo-classical: Responded to the expressivists and returned to the classical roots of Aristotle’s rhetoric. Neo-classical: Responded to the expressivists and returned to the classical roots of Aristotle’s rhetoric.

7. How has technical communication treated audience? Audience is central to effective design Audience is central to effective design In the 60’s and 70’s audience was grouped by job function or level of experience. In the 60’s and 70’s audience was grouped by job function or level of experience. In the 80’s and 90’s, technical communication borrowed from the cognitive psychology and reader response to emphasize the use of documents by users to do something. In other words, the concept that end-users were using the products to assist them in completion of some desired task. In the 80’s and 90’s, technical communication borrowed from the cognitive psychology and reader response to emphasize the use of documents by users to do something. In other words, the concept that end-users were using the products to assist them in completion of some desired task.

8. What is the value of information about audience? Information about audience can aid technical communicators in being more user-centered. Information about audience can aid technical communicators in being more user-centered. It can further improve design and can be used to plan future usability investigations or help to set usability standards. It can further improve design and can be used to plan future usability investigations or help to set usability standards.

9. Application to technical writing When designing and creating a technical product (text, www, etc) the audience or user is extremely important to the success of your work When designing and creating a technical product (text, www, etc) the audience or user is extremely important to the success of your work The audience in the end is the receiver of the technical product and should be considered through the entire design and creation of your product. The audience in the end is the receiver of the technical product and should be considered through the entire design and creation of your product. Failing to properly consider audience during design greatly risks the success of the work. Failing to properly consider audience during design greatly risks the success of the work.

10. Conclusion Audience refers to the real and imagined readers (users) who use texts (products) to do something in their own enviroment. Audience refers to the real and imagined readers (users) who use texts (products) to do something in their own enviroment. Audience is central to effective design. Audience is central to effective design. Information about audience can aid technical communicators in being more user-centered, resulting in better products. Information about audience can aid technical communicators in being more user-centered, resulting in better products.