Find, Scan, Read: A Structured Approach to Documentation Creation and Improvement

In this webinar, Gareth addressed a common but rarely acknowledged challenge: documentation creation and improvement often feel overwhelming, intimidating, and anxiety-inducing for specialists, managers, and leadership teams alike.

To solve this, he introduced a lightweight, practical content strategy designed to help teams build or overhaul documentation suites without burnout or chaos.

The core goal is simple but powerful: align documentation with actual user behavior so information is easy to find, quick to scan, and effortless to read.

Designed for technical writers, documentation managers, SMEs, and C-suite leaders seeking high-impact improvements, the framework centers on the Find, Scan, Read model.

In the Find phase, the focus is on Information Architecture and SEO, because if users cannot find the page, the content does not matter.

Treat IA as the map and SEO as the directions to that map, and measure success by reducing “couldn’t find it” support tickets.

In the Scan phase, the emphasis shifts to structure, consistency, and templates so users can quickly determine relevance without reading dense blocks of text. Use the Heading Test to ensure the page tells a coherent story, and the Chunking Test to confirm that sections stand independently.

In the Read phase, clarity and task success become critical; eliminate trust breakers, implement style guides, automate checks, and prioritize readiness for AI optimization or translation.

If documentation for a feature is incomplete or inaccurate, that feature effectively has a bug.

Strategic mindset shifts reinforce the framework: users judge your documentation within five seconds and abandon it within 20–30; focus on improvements that serve 90% of users instead of chasing edge cases; and shift feedback from “we couldn’t find it” to “the information is wrong,” which isolates fixable issues.

Implementation begins by choosing a single structural framework, setting boundaries during the Find phase rather than rewriting everything at once, leveraging support data to identify recurring pain points such as installation or security, and building repeatable processes, such as automated style checks and peer reviews.

Ultimately, this approach reduces support tickets, increases trust in documentation, improves task completion, and helps teams scale documentation confidently rather than reactively.

About the Speaker

Gareth is a Documentation Manager with five years of experience in SaaS and open-source documentation, and a top-10 winner at the Document360 Global Writers Awards. He has spoken at AI the Docs conference and contributed to the documentation community in London and online. He is the creator of the “Find, Scan, Read” content strategy method and is passionate about helping lone technical writers and small documentation teams improve their processes in the age of AI.