Being Agile With Documentation
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Being Agile with Documentation or… how technical communicators can survive (and thrive) on Agile Projects
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Agile environments can be both challenging and rewarding places for technical writers. Appropriate documentation is essential to the efficient production, testing, and acceptance of software. One way to be Agile with documentation to evolve it in parallel with the system development — delivering user stories, use cases, UI designs, system tests, manuals, and even online help — with just enough detail, and just in time. Come and explore some ways that you can be Agile with your documentation. This presentation isn't intended to provide a silver bullet solution, but it may give you some ideas beyond those famous (infamous?) 3x5 index cards.
Transcript of Being Agile With Documentation
Being Agile with Documentation
or…how technical communicators can
survive (and thrive) on Agile Projects
Who am I, and why am I here?
What do you know about Agile…
So… What is Agile?
Individuals and Interactions
over processes and tools
Working Software
over comprehensive documentation
Customer Collaboration
over contract negotiation
Responding to Change
over following a plan
Sustainable Pace
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good
design
Simplicity
Self-Organizing Teams
Reflection and Improvement
But… what does it all mean?
Don’t just do Agile… Be Agile
Now… what does that mean for technical writers?
• writing and editing• document design• using language effectively to
please or persuade (rhetoric)• problem solving• collaboration and teamwork• interpersonal and oral communication• facility with, and ability to learn,
technologies
Adapt your Core Competencies
The biggest difference is the Mindset
Integration with the Development Team
No Prescription for Documentation – so we will have to write our own
Whiteboards…
and Markers… and Cameras… oh my!
“Typical” Agile Requirements Documentation
Create a
new article
for
publishing
Publish an article
to the website
Delete a
publishe
d article
KIS and KIL
and a dollop of Horse Sense
Documentation and Coding should proceed in Parallel
Focus on Users and their Needs
Develop Design Patterns for your Documentation
Sources of Design Patterns
Design for Change
Some resources to check out
Manifesto for Agile Software Development www.agilemanifesto.org
Scott Ambler – Agile Modeling website http://www.agilemodeling.com
WritersUS – Agile Technical Documentationwww.writersua.com
Questions? Discussion?
