The Technical Writing Process
In the previous two chapters, you learned how to structure documentation pages and grammar and style fundamentals for effective communication. With this knowledge, you’re now ready to tackle this chapter, which covers the process of working with others to figure out what to document and how effective it is.
The process of creating technical documentation isn’t too dissimilar to the process of creating the code that documentation explains. Creating technical documentation is never “done” or “finished” and is a constant iterative learning and improvement process.
The stages of the process, as I see them, are also fairly similar to software engineering. This chapter covers the following main topics:
- Scoping and requirements gathering
- Research and product testing
- Drafting and re-drafting
- Feedback, testing, and maintenance
These steps apply when creating new content or content for new...