The Right Format for Your Technical Documentation
Are you thinking it’s time to put your technical documentation into a new format? In this article, we’ll go into the details of the formats most commonly used in technical documentation to help you choose the best one for your products and your clients.
Paper
Ah! Good ol’ paper! Printed documents never go out of style. After so many years, this classic format is still a good choice when you just want to hand a document to someone. It’s easy to consult, inside or out, rain or shine. No batteries required: it’ll work all the time, even when there’s no network connections, no computers, no compatible outlets or CD trays. It’s the ideal format for task support documents or warnings (health and safety guidelines, for instance). Printed documents may not be interactive, but readers can easily get friendly with paper, underlining important sections or adding notes in the margins. When a large volume of information needs to be shared, however, paper may not be your best bet since it’s not very environmentally friendly.
Video
If an image is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth? Far more! In a video, you can show off your product’s bells and whistles. Video is also a golden opportunity to demonstrate your product and your team’s expertise by going into that extra detail, say, about its manufacturing quality or the best practice for using it. Video is also a good format when you want to promote new products or functionalities. Add a friendly, lively narrator and you’ll put a human face on your company. This engaging format can help your clients get comfortable with your product and its procedures. Don’t forget, though, that your viewer won’t be able to easily retrieve information from a video. It’s best to make several short films rather than a very long one. This will also keep your viewers attentive!
Screencasts
Screencasts are another interesting video format for documentation since they show what’s on the computer screen. Narrated or silent, screencasts are often used in software tutorials. They are the go-to way many software experts show off their tips and tricks. Widespread on Youtube, this technique has gained popularity thanks to its simplicity and easy production. A computer and a mic… voilà! This said, most concepts and rules for producing video also apply to screencasts, so better do your homework before you start out. Since updating videos or adding new content can be tricky (filming, editing, etc.), make sure your video content will pass the test of time from the get-go..
Online
Dynamic and versatile, this format is ideal for just about every kind of documentation, from online support to training with everything in between. Quick access to a large volume of information, dynamic presentation (scroll-down menus, hyperlinks, interactivity, etc.), easy updating, fast searches and mobile accessibility are all very useful qualities of online format as well. Online documentation is perfect for brushing up on new skills, whether you want to learn the company collaboration tool or follow some e‑learning modules. It is also great for troubleshooting… unless you’re having a network connection issue, of course! Some companies go beyond simple documentation by offering support via chat, while others share their software over cloud technology. And the best part in all this? You can mix and match all the formats and work them into your online documentation! Videos, screencasts, photos, PDF documents, PowerPoint or SlideShare presentations… the sky’s the limit!
Go for it: find that format!
To make the most of their different advantages, maybe the best choice will be to divvy up your content into several formats! Regardless of your choice, don’t forget to give the experts a call to make sure the quality of your documentation is top-notch.
The following table summarizes the advantages of the various formats.
