Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2016

Human-Centered Design and the Field of Technical Communication

Mark Zachry University of Washington ; Jan H. Spyridakis University of Washington

Abstract

In this special journal issue, we explore the turn toward human-centered design (HCD) in research and higher education. We begin with a discussion of how HCD emerged in scholarly work at the edges of our field in places such as design, psychology, art, and engineering. Following this, we consider how an HCD perspective is manifesting itself in academic programs in different institutional contexts. We then discuss how this trend is further illustrated by the transformation of our department at the University of Washington, which shifted from being the Department of Technical Communication to becoming the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering. Finally, we discuss the work of a group of researchers who contributed articles to this special issue. Each of these articles offers a perspective from someone within our field about how an HCD perspective has influenced their thinking and research.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2016-10-01
DOI
10.1177/0047281616653497
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
technical communication
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (16)

  1. Tham (2026)
    Evolving Information Design: Insights from Senior Experts in Technical and Prof…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Shalamova et al. (2025)
    Conversation Design: The Evolving Paradigm in Technical and Professional Commun…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  3. Shivener et al. (2025)
    Capturing the Experiences of Simulated Writing for Novice Virtual Reality Users
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Rose et al. (2024)
    UX Pedagogy: Stories and Practices from the Technical and Professional Communic…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  5. Zhou et al. (2023)
    What Can Technical and Professional Communication Do for UX Education: A Case S…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Show all 16 →
  1. Madson (2023)
    You Shall Not Pass? The Design of Age Gates in an Emerging Cannabis Market
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Walwema (2023)
    Centering Social Justice at ProComm Limerick 2022
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. Fuglsby et al. (2023)
    Regulating Emotions for Social Action: Emotional Intelligence’s Role in TPC
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Sims (2022)
    Tools for Overcoming Oppression: Plain Language and Human-Centered Design for S…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  5. Swacha (2021)
    Living Visual-voice as a Community-based Social Justice Research Method in Tech…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  6. Tham (2021)
    Engaging Design Thinking and Making in Technical and Professional Communication…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  7. Kessler et al. (2021)
    User Experience in Health & Medicine: Building Methods for Patient Experience D…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  8. Eriksson et al. (2019)
    Live-action Communication Design: A Technical How-To Video Case Study
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  9. Acharya (2019)
    Usability for Social Justice: Exploring the Implementation of Localization Usab…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  10. Jones (2018)
    Human Centered Syllabus Design: Positioning Our Students As Expert End-Users
    Computers and Composition
  11. Rose et al. (2017)
    Making practice-level struggles visible: researching UX practice to inform pedagogy
    Communication Design Quarterly

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CrossRef global citation count: 30 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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