{"id":333,"date":"2014-10-14T15:19:25","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T19:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/myth-1-nobody-reads-technical-documentation\/"},"modified":"2014-10-14T15:19:25","modified_gmt":"2014-10-14T19:19:25","slug":"myth-1-nobody-reads-technical-documentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/myth-1-nobody-reads-technical-documentation\/","title":{"rendered":"Myth 1: Nobody Reads Technical Documentation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your clients don\u2019t consult your technical documentation? They\u2019d rather work it out \u201cthe hard way,\u201d even if it means making a few mistakes and wasting some time, before they resort to opening your user guide? We provide you with a few tips and tricks to make sure your client not only reads but enjoys using your documentation!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Reality<\/h1>\n

If technical documentation isn’t done right, it can discourage even the best-intentioned of readers. Incoherent structure, inaccessible information and technical gibberish are all too common! Fortunately, by following a few simple rules, you can start writing documentation that readers will enjoy using.<\/p>\n

The solution? Think like your reader!<\/h2>\n

Needs come first<\/h4>\n

When you work on the structure and content of your documentation, think about your different readers and their needs. If you\u2019re writing a user guide, for example, forget about showing off every last feature and function of your product. Instead, explain step-by-step how to do each task.<\/p>\n

Technical documentation titles that talk<\/h4>\n

How frustrating it is for users to pour over a table of contents and still not be able to spot what they\u2019re looking for! To help them find their way, use evocative titles that describe the section\u2019s content precisely. Put yourself in your readers\u2019 shoes and think about what type of information they\u2019ll be looking for.<\/p>\n

A section that explains how to configure a camera should have a title such as Adjusting your camera\u2019s parameters, not Camera parameters.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Less is more<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t clutter your pages. Write clear and concise paragraphs. This way, your text will be accessible to different readers and its information easier to find. Distinguish between types of information by using different graphic presentations. For instance, you might use tables and numbered or bulleted lists to distinguish between technical data, step-by-step instructions and long lists.<\/p>\n

A picture is worth a thousand words<\/h4>\n

Add photos and illustrations. This will help your readers visualize the product and understand the tasks to be accomplished. It will also make your documentation more appealing.<\/p>\n

Mission accomplished!<\/h4>\n

Of course, your technical documentation won\u2019t ever replace your clients\u2019 bedtime reading, but if they enjoy using it when needed, you can say \u201cMission accomplished!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your clients don\u2019t consult your technical documentation? They\u2019d rather work it out \u201cthe hard way,\u201d even if it means making a few mistakes and wasting some time, before they resort to opening your user guide? We provide you with a few tips and tricks to make sure your client not only reads but enjoys using […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technical-writing-and-documentation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}