Technical writers involved in an institutional writing project need some way of viewing the raw material globally before writing. In this way they can build a framework which can be used for different types of information. This is accomplished through a task analysis meeting that highlights the following preparatory steps prior to writing: (1) determine the scope, (2) define the audience and identify the reader, (3) determine the purpose, (4) determine the task or tasks, and (5) determine the constraints--posed by the system or by how the document will be used. The purpose of the task analysis meeting is, therefore, to elicit from the subject matter experts information that is procedurally and user oriented. The goal of the meeting is to have participants generate tasks that fit into four columns: action, audience, information requirements, and result. The information generated in this collective exercise is more comprehensive than what can be extracted through individual interviews. Performing this type of task analysis before writing a single word may make the difference between designer-based material and usable, reader-based material. (HOD)