One of our writers was recently asked to reorganize a pile of technical documentation in hopes of making it easier to use, more intuitive to navigate, and generally, more effective. At Expert Support, this isn’t an uncommon request.
These kinds of assignments can appear daunting at the onset. But experienced writers leverage techniques from the worlds of information architecture and knowledge engineering to find success with these projects. Our conversations about this particular project reminded us of the pancake rule.
What is the pancake rule?
Remember the last time you were making pancakes, and recall all the variables involved: the thickness of the batter, how lumpy it is, the heat of the pan, the amount of oil or butter melting in the pan, etc. If you’re like me, the first two pancakes usually get tossed or fed to the dog (or set aside for the cook). But by the third pancake, it’s perfect. Those perfect ones make up the stack to be served to others ready for breakfast.
The process of getting information organized in the best possible way is kind of like that. Because there are a lot of variables, it’s hard to get the organization model exactly right on the first pass. Or even the second pass. But like pancakes, the third attempt can be perfect.
The reasons for this are unclear. We suspect it has to do with the learning curve involved. As writers become immersed in the information about the product, the users, usage patterns, domain knowledge, and technology knowledge, they gain more and different insights about the best organization. As their own perspectives become more informed, things can fall together into a simple, now obvious, organization.
A great way to leverage the pancake rule is in managing expectations about the project, and future revisions. You need to realize your first best pass might not ultimately be the most optimal. But you should publish the new version as soon as it’s better than the existing documentation. There’s no reason to delay incremental improvements.
But you should expect to discover better and better approaches (aha! moments) over time, and you should expect to make those organizational improvements as you do.
Expert Support can help
If you need help organizing your technical documentation so it’s easier to navigate, search, and understand, please contact Expert Support. We have a great team of experienced writers who’ve tackled many of these projects, and we can help with your project too. Our pancakes are pretty good, too.