how to simplify technical documentation

Good technical documentation saves hours of support tickets and frustrated users. Bad documentation costs companies customers. Here's how to write docs that actually help.

who is your reader

Before writing, define: - Technical skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced) - Goals (what are they trying to accomplish?) - Context (when will they read this?) - Pain points (what frustrates them?)

Different audiences need different docs.

the curse of knowledge

The biggest documentation mistake: assuming readers know what you know. You're too close to the product. What seems obvious to you isn't obvious to users.

structure for clarity

Title: What this doc covers Overview: What the reader will learn Prerequisites: What they need first Steps: The actual instructions Troubleshooting: Common issues Next steps: Where to go from here

writing clear instructions

• One action per step
• Start each step with a verb
• Include expected outcomes
• Add screenshots for complex steps
• Number sequential steps

Bad: "Configure your settings and make sure everything is correct before proceeding." Good: "1. Click Settings. 2. Select 'Advanced'. 3. Enable 'Auto-backup'. The toggle should turn green."

simplifying technical language

Before: "Utilize the API endpoint to instantiate a new user object." After: "Use this API to create a new user."

Principles: - Short words over long words - Active voice over passive - Common terms over jargon - Concrete over abstract

when jargon is necessary

Sometimes technical terms are unavoidable: - Define terms on first use - Link to a glossary - Use consistent terminology - Consider your audience's baseline

code examples

Good code examples: - Are complete and runnable - Include comments explaining key lines - Show expected output - Cover common use cases - Are copy-paste ready

visual elements

Use visuals to: - Show complex workflows (diagrams) - Demonstrate UI actions (screenshots) - Explain relationships (charts) - Break up text walls

But don't over-rely on images for critical information.

testing your docs

Before publishing: - Have someone unfamiliar follow the steps - Watch them, don't help - Note where they get stuck - Revise based on their experience

keeping docs updated

Outdated docs are worse than no docs: - Review after each product update - Mark docs with "last updated" dates - Create an update schedule - Make it easy to report issues

common documentation mistakes

• Too much information at once
• Missing prerequisites
• Assuming prior knowledge
• No troubleshooting section
• Outdated screenshots
• Dense paragraphs instead of steps

accessibility considerations

• Use descriptive link text
• Add alt text to images
• Ensure sufficient color contrast
• Test with screen readers
• Structure with proper headings

Good documentation is empathy in written form. Put yourself in the reader's shoes at every step.