An interesting conversation on the STC Management SIG’s mailing list about what to name a department that does more than just technical writing has produced some interesting comments about user experience. Comments mainly indicate that the term isn’t understood enough to name a department after it.
- “If it weren’t so jargony, I’d go for the user experience suggestion.”
- “User Experience is currently in vogue, which of course means that in a couple of years it will sound outdated as all hell.”
- “User Experience doesn’t really tell anyone what you provide.”
I disagree (and really, the name of the department really doesn’t matter so long as it has a solid function), but I am willing to entertain the possibility that I am off-base. 
So, what do you think? Is UX the road we’re going down, or is it a modern trend or buzzword that will fade away?
Update:
I neglected to include the current duties of the department:
- online product documentation
- product webinars
- eLearning courses
- support portal
- issue tracking
- manage the Net Promoter Score program for the company
Given all that, I think it’s appropriate for that department to begin to assert itself as the hub of user experience (call it what you want). They get the feedback in, they act on it, and they manage the program that determines the overall customer satisfaction score for the company. Wouldn’t it make sense for that department to also begin to analyze and influence other design criteria for the products the company produces? They’re poised to be user and product advocates, and not just a response group tasked with documentation and support.
Would slapping a UX nametag on the department be premature? Maybe. But it certainly sets a positive growth direction, and opens doors for negotiation to hire true UX professionals to leverage all that they currently are involved in.
Just my $0.02. I think calling this group “Technical Documentation” is rather limiting, don’t you? Then again, there’s the whole “what’s in a name” argument, but I’ve found that titles and such have two main effects, generally speaking: they either spark continued growth or they create comfort zones. Why not see the existing greater involvement and set a goal for shaping it?
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