7 Tips To Writing High Class Project Documentation

Knowing what documents to have in a project may be one thing, but to create high quality documentation is another. High quality documentation will ensure that everyone on the project is absolutely clear on what is required, what the status is and what it happening next.



Simplicity

Ensure that you keep your documentation as simple as possible by ensuring that you exclude any unnecessary information. Write you documents in clear, plain terms and limit the use of any abbreviations or terms that others may not understand. This will ensure that the documents are easy and quick to read.

Focus

Focus on the actual topic when you create your document. Think carefully about the content you will be adding to the document. List your topics and stick to them. Never go off the topic, as this may confuse the reader completely.

Structure

All your documents must have a clear structure, including a well-defined Table of Contents. You may want to include in your document the use of tables to improve readability, include diagrams to explain content further, use bold, italic and underlining to let certain areas such as headings stand out and when defining a number or group of associated items, use bullets.

The Story

Write your documents as if it was a story you are telling. This will improve readability and ensure that you have a captivated reader. Start with an introduction and inform the reader what the document is about. Then add the main content or body and make sure you close off the document with a summary or conclusion.

Flow

Write your document in such a way that it flows from paragraph to paragraph and topic to topic. This will ensure that the reader never has to stop to work out where they are in the document or what is coming next.

Amount of information

Provide the reader with the right amount of information. Keep it simple and short, but ensure that it is on the topic, informative and helpful. Never over explain everything as this may cause the reader to become bored reading your document.

Inspiration

Be passionate about the topic you are writing and ensure that you inspire the reader with the information you provide them. Be positive and inspirational throughout the document and you will excite the reader and you document will be a joy to read.