Plan and manage your documentation project: A technical writing guide with templates, instructor feedback, and more

About Course

Instructor: Julia Hurley

Overview: In this course, the participant will learn effective project initiation, strategic planning and organization, stakeholder-centric tactics, and fundamental project management. Throughout the course, you will use industry-proven templates to produce a professional-quality documentation project plan – a valuable addition to your professional portfolio!

Instructor bio: Julia Hurley has 20 years of experience in technical writing, knowledge management, UX writing, front-end web development, and anxiety-reducing leadership. She has led technical documentation teams across higher ed, large corporate, and startup companies. She also taught a technical writing course, Creating User Documentation, at her alma mater, Virginia Tech. Julia holds a bachelor of arts degree in music performance, a minor in professional and technical writing, and a master of science degree in corporate and professional communication.

Features:

Duration: 5 modules, around two hours total; two to four hours of work on your course project
Delivery Method: Online asynchronous instructor-led sessions
Assessment: Assignments with personalized instructor feedback
Certification: Certificate of completion upon successful completion of the course

Course Content

Introduction
Learn about your instructor, Boffin Education, and what you can expect from us!

Course Introduction

02:20
Learning objectives

02:58
The Technical Writing Process (TWP)

03:49
What else to expect

01:53
Choose a documentation project to plan

02:52
What’s next

01:07
Describe your proposed documentation project
Describe your project’s purpose

Collect Information
Find out how technical writers and crows are alike, and how those qualities can supercharge your documentation project.

Analyze Your Audience
This topic focuses on audience analysis in technical writing. We introduce the concept of audience categorization, grouping audiences into primary, secondary, and hidden groups, as we highlight their distinct needs. The Five Ws and One H method is introduced as a systematic approach for in-depth audience understanding. We also discuss the development of personas, drawing on techniques in customer experience design. The lessons guide readers through the practical steps of audience analysis, which sets the stage for developing user-centered technical documentation.

Make a Plan
This topic guides you through the process of planning documentation projects using the PADRE method (Purpose, Audience, Design, Review) for effective project execution. It underscores the significance of planning in ensuring project success, particularly in Agile environments, and provides practical tools like checklists and templates. It emphasizes the need for proper planning to create a strong foundation for the success of your technical documentation projects.

Define your review team

Manage your progress

Conclusion

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About Course

Course Content

Introduction Learn about your instructor, Boffin Education, and what you can expect from us!

Course Introduction

Learning objectives

The Technical Writing Process (TWP)

What else to expect

Choose a documentation project to plan

What’s next

Describe your proposed documentation project

Describe your project’s purpose

Collect Information Find out how technical writers and crows are alike, and how those qualities can supercharge your documentation project.

Activate your inner bird mode

[Theory] The DIKW Pyramid

[Practice] Search for existing information

Check for templates and style guides

Access hardware

Access software

What if access is denied?

Check out competitors’ documentation

Check for standards

What’s next

Find existing information

Introduction

[Theory] Audience types

[Theory] The five W’s and one H

[Theory] Personas

Collect audience information

Talk with subject matter experts (SMEs)

Create draft personas

Interview your audience

Analyze your data

Consolidate audience insights

Finalize and validate audience profile

What’s next

Create your audience profile

Categorize your audiences into types

Analyze your primary audience

Create audience personas

Introduction

[Theory] The PADRE method

Select your type of plan

Brief your manager

Develop your plan

Refine your plan

Secure approval for your plan

What’s next

List your deliverables

Create your documentation plan

Define your review team

Introduction

[Theory] Generic roles on a review team

[Theory] Typical stakeholders in a document review

Identify subject matter experts and stakeholders

Classify reviewers and approvers

Identify lead times and sequence

Finalize review matrix

What’s next

Complete your documentation project plan

Manage your progress

Introduction

When do I start managing progress?

Progress management tools: Checklists

Progress management tools: Status trackers

Progress management tools: Visual management boards

Progress management tools: Schedules

Progress management tools: Advanced options

[Practice] Manage progress

What’s next

Conclusion

Final thoughts

What’s next

Your complete documentation plan

Student Ratings & Reviews

Boffin Education

Introduction
Learn about your instructor, Boffin Education, and what you can expect from us!

Collect Information
Find out how technical writers and crows are alike, and how those qualities can supercharge your documentation project.