I don't know what surprises me more: that we've reached the end of another decade, or that we never figured out what to call it. (The two-thousands? The aughties? I suppose that for the next ten years we can just call it “the previous decade.”)

The years 2000 to 2009 have seen big, fundamental changes in our technical communication profession. Content is increasingly being designed for single-sourcing and reuse. Audiences look for information in other places besides the user manual and the company website. Practitioners struggle to demonstrate their value as the job market tightens.

The next ten years figure to be just as eventful. Here are a few trends that I see in technical communication in the 2010s:

• The rise of the content strategist: the person who can process information from all over the enterprise (and from its customers) and repackage it for different audiences. Audiences demand information that's tailored to them and to the tasks they're performing, and they look for it in all kinds of places. The stars of the 2010s will be the content strategists who can meet the demand.
• Continued commoditization of technical writing. Increasingly, companies in traditional markets like the U.S. are finding that they can get good writing from abroad for a fraction of what it costs at home. This trend will only accelerate as workers in emerging markets like India and China improve their writing skills. Writers in traditional markets will have to reinvent themselves to remain viable.
• More and more media choices. Ten years ago, how many of us had heard of iPhones or Blu-ray—or even podcasts? The 2010s will bring just as much innovation, with people consuming our information in ways we can't imagine today. We'll have to be ready for them.
• Credentialing or certification. As technical communicators vie to prove their value, I expect increased interest in finding ways to differentiate ourselves in the job market. Perhaps STC will develop a Certified Technical Communicator program. Perhaps there'll be a PMP-like course for content strategists or information architects. Almost certainly, there'll be more tool- or process-specific credentials.
• New ways to define the value of technical communication. Increasingly, businesses will see that good technical communication can help them build their brands in the marketplace and can help them avoid the costs associated with product liability issues. It's up to us, the professionals, to hone these messages and make sure that they're well understood in corporate boardrooms.

What do you think? Can you see other trends that I haven't mentioned?