How can you use design thinking to make engineering documentation more user-friendly?

1 Empathize with your users

The first step of design thinking is to empathize with your users. This means understanding who they are, what they want, what they struggle with, and how they use your documentation. You can use various methods to empathize with your users, such as interviews, surveys, observations, personas, and journey maps. The goal is to gain insights into their goals, motivations, pain points, and preferences. You can also use feedback and analytics to measure how your users interact with your documentation and identify areas of improvement.

3 Ideate solutions

The third step of design thinking is to ideate solutions. This means generating as many ideas as possible to address your users' needs. You can use techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, sketching, and SCAMPER to ideate solutions. The goal is to be creative and divergent, and not to judge or filter your ideas. You can also involve your users and stakeholders in the ideation process to get different perspectives and insights. Some examples of ideas for improving your documentation might be: creating a table of contents, adding keywords and tags, using visuals and diagrams, or simplifying the language.

4 Prototype and test them

The fourth step of design thinking is to prototype and test your solutions. This means creating low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes of your documentation and testing them with your users. You can use tools such as paper, wireframes, mockups, or online platforms to prototype your documentation. The goal is to validate your assumptions, gather feedback, and learn from your users. You can use methods such as usability testing, A/B testing, or user reviews to test your prototypes. You can also use metrics such as completion rate, satisfaction rate, or error rate to measure the effectiveness of your documentation.

5 Implement them

The fifth step of design thinking is to implement your solutions. This means finalizing your documentation and delivering it to your users. You can use tools such as documentation software, content management systems, or version control systems to implement your documentation. The goal is to ensure that your documentation is consistent, accurate, and up-to-date. You can also use methods such as documentation reviews, quality assurance, or user feedback to monitor and maintain your documentation. You can also iterate and improve your documentation based on your users' needs and expectations.