Content Strategy
Sample details
- Project: Work-related
- My Role: Sr. Technical Writer, Content Designer/Strategist, Lead Front-end Developer
- Tools: Docusaurus, Google Sheets, Confluence, Vercel, GitHub, Markdown
Developer Doc Site Redesign
Because documentation for external developers is a high priority, it should differ from content on internal wikis.
In Postman's 2022 State of the API Report, they found the "lack of documentation" ranked the highest at 55%.
When asked what would improve the documentation, 57% said, "update-to-date documentation," followed by "code samples" (55%) and "better examples" (53%).
Also, when asked how API knowledge is gained in Postman's 2022 State of the API Report, the most popular answer was on the job or from a co-worker (63%), followed by documentation (59%).
Evaluation criteria
- Are we aware of the current user experience? What does it look like? For example, are the users clicking through many topics to get to the article or document they need?
- Does the search inside the product documentation site give the user clear results? Are they finding what they need quickly?
- Is there a duplication of articles? If so, why and is it necessary (unavoidable)?
- Are there incomplete or inaccurate articles, which may result in more support calls than necessary?
- Is there a content development process to help manage and update the content?
- Does the content platform have limitations? If so, what are they, and do they hinder content development? Is it scalable? If nothing is wrong, what features or configuration isn't used but could be used?
- Do teams spend more time reformatting and redesigning output than creating content and keeping it in sync? Is content trapped in different authoring tools and platforms?
Challenge
When I stepped into the project, I noticed that the site’s structure had been developed largely by Non-Technical Writers, Content Strategists, and Content Designers. This resulted in a few issues like the unnecessary duplication of image folders. The content flow was disjointed, making information difficult to find and reducing the potential for users to self-serve for product support. Additionally, the potential of reusable content was not fully realized, and the lack of an inclusive content development process meant some documentation was inconsistent.
Solution
Hoping to make a positive change, I took on the responsibility of leading the content strategy for the developer doc site's redesign. I was fortunate to also contribute as the lead developer in redeveloping the Docusaurus framework. Recognizing the importance of user experience, I believed that transitioning to a scenario or goal-based topic format might enhance our documentation's clarity and relevance. With the aspiration to avoid user frustration and to instill trust in our brand, I emphasized planning, delivering, and managing content systematically. Also, seeking diverse insights, I initiated guidelines and welcomed contributors to enrich the developer documentation.
Outcome
My proactive interventions bore fruit. The revitalized developer doc site received an overwhelmingly positive response. Stakeholders, after thorough internal testing, confirmed that my content restructuring efforts provided a robust platform for both immediate usability and future scalability. Most gratifyingly, they acknowledged the marked improvements in content findability and discoverability, vindicating the measures I'd championed.
