Skip to main content
Home

Search

Header (Main)
Industry
Mobility Mobility
Automotive
Vehicle Electrification

Vehicle Electrification

Explore
Aerospace Engineering
Optimized Aircraft Downtime and Overhead Costs for a Leading Global Airline with Automated Analytics

Optimized Aircraft Downtime and Overhead Costs for a Leading Global Airline with Automated Analytics

Explore
Rail Transportation
Railway Track Inspection System

Railway Track Inspection System

Explore
Trucks & Off-Highway Vehicles
On the Road to Connected Mobility: An ER&D Perspective

On the Road to Connected Mobility: An ER&D Perspective

Explore
On the Road to Connected Mobility

On the Road to Connected Mobility: An ER&D Perspective

Explore
Sustainability Sustainability
Discrete Manufacturing & Industrial Products
Building Technology & Smart Infrastructure
Electrical Power and Controls
Industrial Machinery
Unlock the future of manufacturing with Factories of the Future

Unlock the future of manufacturing with Factories of the Future

Explore
Process Manufacturing
Oil & Gas
Chemicals
FMCG
ISG Provider Lens™ 2024: Oil and Gas Industry Services and Solutions

ISG Provider Lens™ 2024: Oil and Gas Industry Services and Solutions

Explore
L&T Technology Services and bp sign multi-year engineering services partnership

L&T Technology Services and bp sign multi-year engineering services partnership

Explore
Tech Tech
HiTech
Consumer Electronics
Media & Entertainment
NexGen Comms
Semiconductors
L&T Technology Services Secures $50 Million Deal as a Strategic Partner from a global Network Provider

L&T Technology Services Secures $50 Million Deal as a Strategic Partner from a global Network Provider

Explore
MedTech
Revolutionizing Endoscopy with Software-Defined Innovation in Collaboration with NVIDIA

Revolutionizing Endoscopy with Software-Defined Innovation in Collaboration with NVIDIA

Explore
Public Infrastructure & Smart Cities
Integrated Smart Surveillance Project

Integrated Smart Surveillance Project

Explore
Software & Platforms
LTTS & SymphonyAI to provide AI-based transformation

LTTS & SymphonyAI to provide AI-based transformation

Explore
Services
Digital Engineering & Consulting Digital Engineering & Consulting
Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecure
Security Monitoring
Security Services
Security Solutions
Immersive Experiences
Industry 4.0
Product Consulting
Sustainability Engineering
Sustainable Smart World
5G
LTTS Completes Acquisition of Intelliswift

LTTS Completes Acquisition of Intelliswift

Explore
Product Engineering Product Engineering
Software Engineering
Cloud Engineering
DevOps
Engineering Analytics
Immersive Experiences
Sustenance & Maintenance
User Experience
Voice Innovations
Embedded Engineering
Embedded Systems
Sustenance
VLSI
Wearables Engineering
Mechanical Design
CAE & CFD
CAx Automation
Testing & Validation
Integrated Design, Validation & Testing
Lab as a Service
Testing
Enabling a Paradigm Shift in Testing An LTTS AI Perspective

Enabling a Paradigm Shift in Testing An LTTS AI Perspective

Explore
Manufacturing Engineering Manufacturing Engineering
Smart Manufacturing
Accelerated Operations
Digital Factory & Simulations
Plant Design & Engineering
Supply Chain Engineering
Sourcing & Procurement
Manufacturing & Planning
Accelerated Operations
Digital Factory & Simulations
Line Expansion & Transfer
Manufacturing Automation
New Product Development
Plant Design & Engineering
PLM on Cloud
Manufacturing Execution
Agile Supply Chain
Content Engineering
Material & Parts Management
Sourcing & Procurement
Asset Reliability Centre

Asset Reliability Centre

Explore
Plant Engineering Plant Engineering
CAPEX Project E/EPCM Services
Operational Excellence
Plant Sustenance & Management
Material & Parts Management
Regulatory Compliance Engineering
ISG Provider Lens™ 2024: Oil and Gas Industry Services and Solutions

ISG Provider Lens™ 2024: Oil and Gas Industry Services and Solutions

Explore
Solutions
AiCE
AiKno®
AnnotAI
ARC
Asset Health Framework
CHEST-rAi™
Connected Security
EDGYneer
ESM
EvQUAL
FlyBoard®
Fusion
i-BEMS
Nliten
nBOn
PSM
SafeX
Semiconductor IP
Sensor & Gateway Solution
UBIQWeise 2.0
Insights
Analyst Reports
Blogs
Brochures
Case Studies
eBooks
Events
PoVs
Webinars
Whitepapers
Careers
About Us
Accolades
Alliances
Analysts
Board of Directors
CSR
Engineer At Heart
Engineering The Change
Investors
Nearshore Centers
News & Media
Quality Management
Corporate Sustainability
Testimonials
Contact
Header (Secondary)
Search
Mail
Country
EN
DE
JP
HE
Contact

Breadcrumb

  1. Blogs
  2. Spotlight
  3. Surge of Rich Media in Technical Communications

Surge of Rich Media in Technical Communications

Puneet
Puneet Suresh Khamborkar

Engineer at Integrated Content Management, LTTS

Media & Entertainment

Published on 08 Jan 2024

min read

Technical Communication

Between January ‘22 and March ‘23, global online video consumption alone was estimated at a staggering 6.1 trillion minutes – or about 102 billion hours. As connectivity, including 5G, expands and device availability is transformed by smarter chips and lighter material, we can expect the trend to strengthen and continue on an exponential growth trajectory.

The technical communications domain is not unaffected by this rise in demand for video-based messaging, and we can expect continuous changes across the current digital landscape as a direct result.

Since the 1940s, technical communication has been an integral enabler of scientific advancements, helping connect a product or a service to its end user through structured information. At present, most technical communicators around the world continue to use conventional documentation methods (e.g., manuals, guides, data sheets, etc.) to provide essential information about their offerings.

As per the Society of Technical Communication, its TCBOK (Technical Communication Body of Knowledge) classifies the technical documentation paradigm into four general categories:

  • Documents used for explaining products, services, and procedures (e.g., help guides, technical support websites, user guides, service guides, reference guides, and standard operating procedures)
  • Documents used for highlighting scientific and technical information (e.g., technical reports, scientific articles, conference presentations, white papers, and book-length projects)
  • Documents used for training users to develop certain technical skills (e.g., online tutorials, job aids [quick references], training materials, etc.)
  • Documents used for marketing technical products and services (e.g., proposals, marketing websites, catalogs, brochures, and newsletters)

While these conventional technical communication methods continue to be effective, they are falling behind the changing times. This could be because:

  • Excess of Verbiage:

Generally, technical documents are quite extensive and cover a lot of information. But with the reduced attention span and the habit of easily accessing the required information within the blink of an eye, many stakeholders today find it difficult to navigate through the 100-odd pages of a technical document in search of a single paragraph of a specific feature.

  • Limitations of 2D Illustrations:

Graphics are an integral part of technical communication. Since the beginning, 2D illustrations have been used in technical communications to showcase product specifications and other visual information. But 2D illustrations were never a perfect way to display complex designs because of their aesthetic limitations, especially since the human eye views everything in three dimensions. 2D illustrations therefore fail to show case the blind side because of their inherent challenges.

  • Translation Errors:

Translating technical documents into different languages is a standard industry practice. However, translating 100-page documents, even using a translation tool, is prone to translation errors because of various factors, such as different scripts and dialects, grammatical errors, etc. This tends to minimize the value of the communication document.

  • Environmental Damage and Space Constraints:

Most of the technical documents are still paper-based, and they are revised occasionally. This tends to take up a lot of physical space, with the use of paper contributing to significant environmental damage.

To overcome these hindrances, leading technical content developers worldwide are exploring newer alternatives. In parallel, global media houses and advertisement agencies have started experimenting with modern marketing techniques, coming up with a unique content strategy to leverage highly engaging visuals that can capture and hold the audience’s interest.

And thus, the domain of “Rich Media.”

So, what is “Rich Media”?

“Rich Media” is a digital advertising term used for creating advertisements that feature videos, audio, and other engaging elements.

Studies have shown that the use of rich media has significantly increased customer engagement with brands, which in turn, has helped the brands increase their sales. Technical communicators across the globe have taken notice of this trend and have decided to implement it in their profession as an alternative to conventional technical communication methods.

Technical communicators today have slowly started integrating rich media (i.e., videos, animations, 3D graphics, AR, VR, etc.) into their content strategies to increase the effectiveness of communication mediums. They have also started substituting the old documentation techniques with newer, more effective mediums. This includes:

  • Video Essays: A book-length of written technical information is being captured in almost an hour-long video essay, as it is always easier to watch a video and understand its content rather than read through it.
  • High-definition 3D Graphics: Parts manuals and catalogs with 3D visuals are subduing the ones with 2D illustrations because of the high-quality graphics used.
  • Vocal Dubbing: To avoid translation errors, video essays are being dubbed in various languages, helping the end user to interpret the exact technical information.
  • Cloud Services: With the growing availability of cloud services, the demand for physical, paper-based storage has significantly reduced . This is helping minimize environmental damage, besides helping maintain and revise documentations with greater ease than before.
  • Animated/Explainer Videos: Help guides are being replaced by animated explainer videos and 3D visualizations.
  • ARs/VR Content: User manuals, service manuals, and operator manuals are being upgraded into 3D-animated AVs (audiovisuals), and AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) content.
  • E-learning: Web-based e-learning modules with the help of LMSs (Learning Management Systems) are succeeding the traditional textbook-based skill development and job trainings.

Similarly, a lot of conventional technical documents are about to be taken over by new-found engaging media formats.

However, most organizations today still prefer conventional technical communication methods and are often reluctant to adapt rich media content. this could be because of fears around higher costs and a lack of necessary expertise to carry out the transition.

As the global rate of digital transformation accelerates and Industry4.0 adoption picks up speed, we can expect the above scenario to change – with rich media usage in technical communications emerging as the way of the future. Trends across industries continue to point strongly in this direction, and we feel that a surge in rich media communications is just around the corner. The question is no longer ‘if’ we will see such a change, but just ‘when?’

Relevant Blogs

Digital Signage and the Future of Customer Engagement
AI and OTT Media: How Artificial Intelligence is Shaping the Future of OTT Markets
A Digital Tomorrow: Rerouting the Television Experience
Explore All

Stay Relevant With Us

Subscribe to our blogs

Puneet
Puneet Suresh Khamborkar

Engineer at Integrated Content Management, LTTS

Puneet has over all 6 years of experience across various domains. He is an engineer at heart with an extensive experience in process automation, building automation, copywriting, content writing, and technical writing. At present, he is working as an Engineer at Integrated Content Management, LTTS. He is responsible for creating and maintaining sustainable documentation for the clients and supporting them in staying updated with the current technical communication trends.

Footer Navigation
  • Industry
    • Mobility
      • Aerospace Engineering
      • Automotive
      • Rail Transportation
      • Trucks & Off-Highway Vehicles
    • Sustainability
      • Discrete Manufacturing & Industrial Products
      • Process Manufacturing
    • Tech
      • Consumer Electronics
      • MedTech
      • Media & Entertainment
      • NexGen Comms
      • Semiconductors
      • Software & Platforms
      • Public Infrastructure & Smart Cities
  • Services
    • Digital Engineering
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Cybersecure
      • Security Monitoring
      • Security Solutions
      • Security Services
      • Immersive Experiences
      • Industry 4.0
      • Product Consulting
      • Sustainability Engineering
      • Sustainable Smart World
      • 5G
    • Product Engineering
      • CAE & CFD
      • CAx Automation
      • Software Engineering
      • Cloud Engineering
      • DevOps
      • Embedded Systems
      • Engineering Analytics
      • Integrated Design, Validation & Testing
      • Lab as a Service
      • Sustenance
      • Testing
      • Testing & Validation
      • User Experience
      • VLSI
      • Voice Innovations
      • Wearables Engineering
    • Manufacturing Engineering
      • Accelerated Operations
      • Agile Supply Chain
      • Content Engineering
      • Digital Factory & Simulations
      • Line Expansion & Transfer
      • Manufacturing Automation
      • New Product Development
      • PLM on Cloud
      • Plant Design & Engineering
      • Sourcing & Procurement
    • Plant Engineering
      • CAPEX Project E/EPCM Services
      • Material & Parts Management
      • Operational Excellence
      • Plant Sustenance & Management
      • Sourcing & Procurement
      • Regulatory Compliance Engineering
  • Engineering The Change
  • Careers
  • Engineer at Heart
  • Resources
  • Solutions
    • AiCE
    • AiKno®
    • AnnotAI
    • ARC
    • Asset Health Framework
    • CHEST-rAi™
    • Connected Security
    • EDGYneer
    • ESM
    • EvQUAL
    • FlyBoard®
    • Fusion
    • i-BEMS
    • Nliten
    • nBOn
    • PSM
    • SafeX
    • Semiconductor IP
    • Sensor & Gateway Solution
    • UBIQWeise 2.0
  • About Us
    • Accolades
    • Alliances
    • Blogs
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • CSR
    • Events & Webinars
    • Investors
    • Media Kit
    • Nearshore Centers
    • News & Media
    • Quality Management
    • Resources
    • Corporate Sustainability
    • Testimonials
LTTS
  •  Twitter
  •  LinkedIn
  •  YouTube
  •  Facebook
  •  Instagram
  • Copyright & Terms
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • info@ltts.com

© 2025 L&T Technology Services Limited. All Rights Reserved.