GrowWithFlow conference (recap 9): Software documentation for end-users

Last November over 80 technical communicators, information architects, and documentation aficionados broadened their horizon at GrowWithFlow, Flow’s highly irregular but equally appreciated technical communication conference. Here is one of the highlights: Empowering users with clear instructions in text, images and videos. 

“Our application is so user-friendly, we don’t need documentation!” No matter how good the product, user documentation will always be a benefit. User documentation offers clear guidance when users run into questions and reduces the number of tickets your helpdesk has to resolve.

Reliable content 

Your product is why customers choose you, your tech content is why they stay. Why? Because it answers users’ questions before they even realised they had them. This gives your users autonomy and reinforces their trust in your product. Additionally, this means your customer service has more time to deal with the big challenges.  

The first step to reliable content is keeping tech writers informed. When you involve your tech writers early in the development cycle, they gain a deep understanding of the product, its objectives, and how it meets user needs. Additionally, close collaboration between tech writers and stakeholders like POs and developers means everyone is on the same page from the start.  

“Your product is why customers choose you, your tech content is why they stay.” 

It’s also important to make tech content part of the product workflow. If your user documentation is an afterthought at the end of the development cycle, it is more difficult to maintain quality. Instead, involving it early leads to a smoother workflow: tech writers can match the scope and evolution of the development process, ensuring your content is always up-to-date. 

Finally, and arguably most importantly, use feedback to refine the documentation. Ideally, the feedback should come directly from the users so developers and tech writers alike can meet user needs and expectations. 

Visual content 

When we talk about accessible content for users, our customers often imagine instructional videos. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must have an even higher return on investment, right?  

At #GrowWithFlow, we showcased how video content can complement written documentation. Short, targeted videos can help users quickly understand workflows or new features (especially when paired with clear written guides). At the same time, creating videos is a time-consuming task, and you can’t update a video quite as quickly as you can a manual. 

As such, before choosing video content, it is important to weigh the pros and cons especially in function of user needs. Your written content might be clear enough as is with a few choice illustrations. On the other hand, perhaps your users already rely heavily on YouTube tutorials, or you want to create a strong visual brand that you wish to maintain in your content. 

Want to know more about user documentation? 

Want to know how to create the content that answers all your users’ questions? 

📧 Email us at info@flowtime.be, and we'll gladly set up a meeting.  

🔗 Visit our website for more details on our services. 

💬 Or send us a message, and let's explore how we can help optimize your documentation workflow!