jason@lanum.com
PHONE
323-594-2999
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Jason Lanum
Documentation is a method of rendering information visible, of gathering organizational knowledge, and translating it into practices, processes, and procedures. This can be daunting when it comes to documenting something that does not exist. The current pace of development in many industries often means that products are pushed to market the same day they are finalized. This requires that documentation be written while features are still in flux. The first step is to separate information into interrelated blocks and then assign them a logical modular structure that can shrink or grow if changes occur. After this, establish guidelines for what needs documentation, marked by levels of importance, user story acceptance criteria, and outline any regulatory or compliance requirements. Talk with everyone, identify subject-matter experts, from managers and developers to quality and assurance workers. Hold discussions with colleagues to understand target users and goals. Consult developer notes, decision logs, readmes, and run through any available demos. From there, define a minimum viable documentation standard as well as maximum goals and choose how it will be presented. As you write, devote time to key customer concerns such as workflows and references that are crucial for them to create business value. Throughout, make sure to circulate drafts to get feedback from stakeholders and iterate. As with any project that is a moving target, an important aspect is to maintain flexibility so sudden changes do not have cascading negative effects. Documentation is never done, but with the right framework writing about the unknown can be accomplished.
jason@lanum.com
323-594-2999
© 2025 Jason Lanum