Designing From Data: Rhetorical Appeals in Support of Design Decisions

Erin Friess University of North Texas

Abstract

This case study investigates how a group of novice technical communicators used appeals to support their design decisions during group meetings. The results of this ethnographic study suggest that although these technical communicators were well acquainted with user-centered design (UCD) concepts and claimed to actively practice UCD, their appeals often did not reference data collected within user-centered research and instead referenced designer-centric appeals to support their claims. This group’s overall use of appeals to support their design decisions suggests that more empirical study into UCD theory and practice as well as students’ argumentation skills is warranted.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2010-10-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651910371197
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (9)

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. Communication Design Quarterly
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Computers and Composition
Show all 9 →
  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Communication Design Quarterly Review

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