Audience in Technical Writing

1. The Key to the Workplace Writing Kingdom

2. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
Every single assignment in the
course requires an in-depth
audience analysis.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
Students learn to assess the
many needs of multiple
audiences – which is an
essential soft skill.
MULTIPLE AUDIENCES
This sequence takes the entire
first week of instruction – this is
a foundational concept.
THE FIRST WEEK
Audience (along with purpose)
is the key to defining the
content and tone of each
document. It’s the most
important!
THE KEY
The When and Why
3

3. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
DAY 1:
Intro to
Audience
DAY 2:
Audience
Analysis &
Research
.
• Who is your audience?
• How do you find out
more?
• What must you know
about them?
DAY 4:
Multiple
Audience,
Purpose &
Culture
• How do you capture the
needs of all involved?
• What about secondary &
tertiary audiences?
• What about multiple
purposes?
• What about cultural
consideration?
DAY 3:
Content &
Tone
• Do you use a direct or
indirect approach?
• What content will your
audience need?
• What tone will help you
best achieve your
purpose?
Audience Lesson Series Overview
4
• Why does it matter?
• How does it work with
purpose?

4. Day 1 Lesson

5. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
• What are their attitudes and
expectations?
WHAT
• How will your readers use
this information?
HOW
• Who are your readers?
WHO
• Why are they reading your
document? (PURPOSE!)
WHY
Before You Start
6

6. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
Why Audience & Purpose Matter
7
Audience
(Who & What)
Purpose
(How & Why)
Tone & Content

7. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
The Tiger Mike Memos
Tiger Oil, Texas, 1970s
These memos are famous. How famous?
8
Edward Mike Davis

8. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
Exercise
9
Is the
purpose
achieved?
• Who is the
audience?
• What is the
purpose?

9. PAPER SHAPES PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
NOTE:
• Specifically, what kind of workers is he
referencing? What are their attitudes,
needs, and opinions going to be?
• Nailing down the actual purpose can
be difficult. Take time with this.
NOTE
• Make a short list of the ways Tiger
Mike failed to address his audience in
a way that would fulfill that specific
purpose.
Note
• Make a list of the ways this memo
could be reworded, restructured, and
revised to achieve the purpose. This is
harder than it sounds!
Who is the audience?
What is the purpose?
Where did good old
Edward Mike go wrong?
How could you reframe
this to achieve your
purpose?
But Wait.. THERE ARE MORE!
Take the 5-minute Tiger Mike Challenge!
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