Write the Docs Podcast Episode 20: Minimum requirements for good tech docs, with Matt Reiner
In episode 20, Matt Reiner from K15t joins us to talk about minimum standards for documentation — what techniques or standards can you put in place to help engineers and other contributors meet the minimum requirement for good tech docs? What essential sections, headings, or topics should you include in templates? And how do you help non-native speakers with grammar issues? We also discuss how tech writers can work with marketing to create honest and interesting writing. There seems to be the feeling that tech writing is dull but accurate and marketing copy is flashy and fluffy — we brainstorm ways technical writers can better align with marketing writers.
You can watch the podcast here:
To view the original post, see WTD Episode 20: Minimum requirements for good tech docs, with Matt Reiner.
Links for more information:
- K15t
- Confluence
- Conform to the patterns and expectations of the genre and schemas
- What Makes Up a Procedure?
- Is Premium Grammarly worth it for identifying style and grammar issues in tech docs?
- What is the technical writer’s role in content marketing?
About Tom Johnson
I'm a technical writer based in the San Francisco Bay area. In this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, visual communication, information architecture, writing techniques, plain language, tech comm careers, and more. Check out simplifying complexity and API documentation for some deep dives into these topics. If you're a technical writer and want to keep on top of the latest trends in the field, be sure to subscribe to email updates. You can also learn more about me or contact me.