Consider a technical communication project you've completed, or one that remains due. Which of Schriver's audience model(s) (classification-driven, intuition-driven, feedback-driven) most closely fits what you have done to better understand your audience? What-if anything-constrained your use of those models? Using table 10.1, create a list of the concrete activities you might undertake to learn more about your audience. Next to each activity, write an estimate of how much time it would take and who else (if anybody) would need to be involved.

Table 10.1:

Audience considerations Identify characteristics for multiple kinds of users: Users will have a wide variety of characteristics that may affect their patterns of using the technology and any technical documentation that goes along with it. Here are some of these characteristics listed in the research. Demographic and psychographic (Schriver 1997) Ways of thinking about and using technology Cultural factors Level of technical knowledge, including vocabulary Experience with similar technologies Previous and current problems encountered by users Activities to include in project plans When direct user involvement is constrained Collect, review, and analyze typical existing documents and genres (such as St. Amant's [2005] prototype analysis); meet with user contact personnel (in support and sales); review user feedback on previous documents; contact users informally; draw on personal experience. When direct user involvement is encouraged Conduct usability tests; interview and observe different kinds of users; develop or draw on research frameworks that help you identify patterns and differences between users (such as Sun's [2006] cultural usability framework); research, devise, and administer mechanisms for continuous feedback; review and analyze user- generated feedback platforms.