While researching user experience (UX) for a literature review for my capstone project proposal, I discovered Hunter (2024) who did a content analysis of UX related articles from technical and professional communication (TPC) from 2013 to 2022. Hunter’s (2024) work is noteworthy as it identifies a significant gap between TPC’s version of UX research and the field of UX itself. This gap is problematic for TPC scholars who want to move into UX. Hunter (2024) identifies part of the problem as stemming from “a significant terminological comingling of user experience and usability within TPC scholarship,” yet the field of UX has long since moved passed usability principles (p.333). This is somewhat embarrassing as technical communicators are known for using the most accepted terminology for whatever industry they are working with.
Hunter (2024) points to the need to clarify and align TPC with UX terminology. This is especially important in TPC pedagogy. If TPC wants to be part of UX, which many TPC scholars advocate for—it’s past time to make a defined commitment to the UX industry and its terminology. By aligning with UX terminology, and by extension how TPC teaches UX, the field of TPC can bolster its place and its value in UX and prepare its graduates for the reality they will face.
I appreciate Hunter' (2024) argument that, while TPC pedagogy will need to address terminology issues to better align with UX, TPC does have something of value to offer back to UX. He writes “TPC-UX is a hybridization of TPC and UX that offers several key affordances to UX design: an attunement to network power dynamics, a theoretically rich understanding of multimodality, and a wealth of strategies for navigating contextual complexities” (Hunter, 2024, p. 326). I think this is a good base for TPC pedagogy to build from.
I appreciate Hunter’s (2024) work for identifying the gap between TPC’s version of UX and the field of UX. I agree with addressing the confusion to stop TPC from distancing itself further from the field of UX. Working to address the UX gap in TPC pedagogy would likely improve technical communicators’ acceptance on UX teams.
Hunter,
P. T. (2024). Toward TPC-UX: UX topics in TPC journals 2013–2022. Journal of
Technical Writing and Communication, 54(3), 324–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472816231191998
I find this gap very interesting. It shows that we never know what we don't know unless we delve into the subject from another point of view. The clarification and alignment of TPC and UX will strengthen the subject. I will be very interested to see what you are able to discover.
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