Life Without NI
Susan started her new job as a technical writer a month ago at National Instruments (or NI). The company headquarter is based in Austin but they have offices worldwide. Susan works in the R&D center in Shanghai. The office is located in Zhang Jiang Riverfront Harbor, ten-minutes bike ride from where we live.
Two frequently asked questions about Susan’s job:
1. What kind of a company is NI? The short answer is that NI is a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software.
2. What does a technical writer do? A technical writer’s job is teach others how to use a product, in the form of writing. In Susan’s case, she writes documentation (help manual/user guide) for NI’s flagship product, LabVIEW.
We realize that it is not easy to explain NI to people who are not familiar with the company/industry. NI products are used in various industries at the manufacturing and specialized level, so they’re not exactly consumer products people buy at your local Walmart store. However, many things people buy at Walmart probably used an NI product somewhere in the manufacturing process!
Here’s a promotional video posted on YouTube about NI. This might give you a better idea about the company. The video reminds us of a “typical” day in China. 
If you’re curious to read/learn more about Susan’s work, she keeps another blog on work-related stuff you can subscribe to.
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