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AI Summary
- Matthew Olapade, an experienced freelance technical writer from Nigeria, discusses creating user-centric product documentation by prioritizing clarity over technical jargon.
- He discovered technical writing while resolving recurring user queries, creating easy-to-understand guides, and later pursuing documentation as a career.
- Clarity over Complexity: Documentation should be simple and user-friendly; explain enough to help users without overwhelming them.
- Know Your Audience: Research user needs, gather feedback, and tailor documentation to users’ expertise. Research and collaboration with subject matter experts, developers, and product managers support accuracy.
- Iterate & Improve: Refine documentation using feedback from subject matter experts and product managers. Matthew associates documentation with “Guidance” and advises writing for your future self.
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See Document360 in action
Matthew Olapade, an experienced freelance technical writer from Nigeria, joins us to discuss the challenges of creating user-centric product documentation. Prioritizing clarity over technical jargon, he shares his journey from addressing customer queries at his company to developing documentation that significantly reduced confusion and support requests. He dives into his unique process of blending user-friendly communication and expert insights to create high-quality technical content.
Watch the full podcast episode video here
About Matthew
- Matthew’s LinkedIn
- Matthew discovered his passion for documentation while helping resolve a recurring user query issue at his company. Realizing that clear guides were just as essential as a good UI, he took the initiative to create easy-to-understand documentation. He was introduced to technical writing by one of his colleagues, and encouraged by the positive feedback, Matthew pursued technical writing as a career and now specializes in making complex information easily understandable for users.
Key Takeaways
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Clarity over Complexity—A great product is only as effective as its documentation. The key to product success is keeping documentation simple and user-friendly.
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Balance Expertise with Accessibility—Avoid overloading users with too much technical detail. The goal is to explain just enough to help them understand without overwhelming them.
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Know Your Audience—Understanding user needs is crucial. Conduct research, gather feedback, and tailor documentation to their level of expertise for better engagement.
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Research & Collaboration Matter— Great documentation isn’t created in isolation. Work with subject matter experts, developers, product managers, or anyone relevant to ensure accuracy.
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Iterate & Improve—Refining the documentation based on the feedback given by the subject matter experts and product manager is vital.
Rapid Fire
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One word that comes to mind when you hear “documentation”?
Guidance
- A piece of advice you would give your 20-year-old self?
Write whatever you’re writing, like you’re writing to your future self.
You can listen to the full episode on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
