ABSTRACT
Technical communication contexts employing content management and/or content strategy processes struggle with assessing usability because of a focus on complex software and processes. This study explored how practicing technical communicators in various contexts sought to learn about users and usability. Participants reported direct and indirect means of learning, contextual resources that helped them, and contextual constraints that hindered richer insights into usability. Findings offer implications for students learning about content management and/or content strategy systems. Content strategy, although complex, shows promise of making users and usability central to the processes of creating, managing, and distributing technical communication.
