Key Insights

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  There are two main documentation types: process/policy docs created by managers or design ops, and project records created by individual contributors.

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  Playbooks organize information by work stages matching the organization's mental model, including detailed plays with instructions and templates.

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  Common pitfalls in playbooks include non-actionable info, poor navigation, cognitive overload, and outdated content.

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  Teams want documentation specific to their organization's processes, not generic explanations.

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  Navigation should align with users' mental models and include searchable content and cross-linking for discoverability.

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  Cognitive overload is reduced by using visual hierarchy, headers, lists, and removing unnecessary 'fluff'.

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  Regularly reviewing and updating documentation preserves trust and usability.

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  Applying a design thinking process—empathize, prioritize, prototype, test, circulate—improves documentation value and adoption.

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  Deliver small, complete documentation sections incrementally rather than waiting for a perfect complete playbook.

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  Shared ownership and collaboration on documentation fosters greater adoption and accuracy; design ops should avoid sole ownership.

Notable Quotes