Technical Documentation Samples

I worked with a local arts organization to implement a Wordpress-powered content management system for their public website.

Non-technical staff needed to be able to make their own updates, so I led a workshop to train the staff on how to use the new system, and prepared a companion user guide as a takeaway.

Tools: InDesign, Snag-It, Photoshop, Wordpress

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Interactive Procedure

This is an illustrative sample to demonstrate interactive documentation techniques. It does not contain any client's proprietary or confidential information. This sample demonstrates the UX design concept of progressive disclosure, which I use to surface context-specific detail on demand instead of cluttering the main procedure. Progressive disclosure elements in this example include:

  • Role filtering. Selecting a role highlights the steps that person owns while keeping the full sequence visible so that staff see their responsibilities without losing the context of what happens before and after their hand-off.
  • Inline term definitions. Hover or tab to any dotted term for its definition, so a new employee isn't sent to a glossary mid-task and an experienced one isn't slowed by explanations they don't need.
  • Annotations. The numbered markers hold the reasoning behind a step such as why a control exists or what commonly goes wrong.
  • Collapsed exception handling. Exception paths consume a disproportionate share of staff time but clutter the happy path. Collapsing them keeps the main procedure scannable while ensuring the guidance is accessible.
  • Modal for reference material. The documentation matrix is needed at one specific step and nowhere else, so it opens in place instead of forcing a jump to another document.
  • Accessible by construction. Every interactive element is keyboard reachable, tooltips respond to focus as well as hover, and the modal traps focus and closes on Escape.
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Software Guide

I worked with a local arts organization to implement a Wordpress-powered content management system for their public website.

Non-technical staff needed to be able to make their own updates, so I led a workshop to train the staff on how to use the new system, and prepared a companion user guide as a takeaway

Tools: InDesign, Snag-It, Photoshop, Wordpress

View Sample