One of the most important parts of any project we are involved in is preparing technical guides for developers as well as administrators. Softjourn does both of them, so when the solution developed by our team is ready to launch, your developers won't have to spend hours figuring it out.
Our experts describe complex solutions clearly and concisely. We can target documentation at different audiences, such as executives, subject matter experts, technicians, developers, administrators and end users. Here, we focus on documentation for your tech team.
Document Types
We can deliver technical documentation in various formats, such as Word, PDF, HTML, e-book, and video, which is typically considered the most comprehensive and valuable. Let's look at the most common types of the technical writing documentation.
Video Guides
We do video documentation most frequently: It`s clear, visual and easy to absorb. We typically use synthesized voice in all our videos. Here`s a good sample:
Web-Based Help
It`s a type of online document that consists of a series of web pages. These online documents offer several advantages:
- Platform independence
- Ability to update content continuously
- Viewable with a regular web browser
README Files
README files are simple plain text documents that contain information about other files in a directory or archive of computer software. You can download a brief sample here.
API documentation
API documentation contains instructions about how to effectively integrate a solution using an API. It is a concise reference manual with all the information required to work with the API and details about functions, classes, return types, arguments and more. API documentation includes tutorials and examples. You can download a brief sample here.
Data Sheets
A data sheet summarizes the performance and other technical characteristics of a solution in sufficient detail that a design engineer can integrate it into an existing system. Typically, a data sheet begins with an overview followed by a listing of specific solution characteristics and further information on device connectivity. Where there is relevant source code, it is usually included near the end of the document or in another file. Check here.
Infographics/Diagrams
If necessary, we include a chart or infographic that explains performance or features more fully than plain text. Here is a good example.
How We Work
Preparing documentation is a process that requires understanding client needs and requirements as well as translating them into language that is clear to different audiences. When design and development are complete, we provide documentation in any of the formats we discussed initially.
We believe that good documentation is both technically rich and simple to understand. It is logical and well organized and communicates effectively—even to readers who won’t read more than a few paragraphs.
