Technical writing/Document Design
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What is design?[edit | edit source]
The design stage is when decisions of how a project will look are taken.
In documentation, the design phase is about deciding the following:
- What will the document cover look like?
- What format will the document take?
- How will the document look?
- In what order will information be presented?
The design stage must take into account the needs of the audience in order to create something appropriate to their task.
Design Goals[edit | edit source]
When designing documentation, technical writers have five aims to keep constantly in mind. These goals are best defined in Mike Markel's Practical Strategies for Technical Communication:
- Make a good impression
Documentation must look professional and create a positive image of the product and the company.
- Clearly define information structure
The documents must be easily navigable and follow a logical and reasonable order.
- Give the readers the information they need
Documentation is sharing knowledge, not hiding it. Documents must be designed to make finding information easy.
- Help readers understand
Documents must communicate clearly and accurately.
- Help readers remember
Well designed documents make the information easy to remember by using visual prompts and elements.
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